What altitude will you fly after a missed visual approach?
 

Hi gentlemans:What altitude will you fly after a missed visual approach?Just maintain pattern altitude again or ?.........:confused:

Just fly back into the circuit pattern, unless advised otherwise by ATC.

What altitude & procedure will I fly after a missed visual approach?
 

The one arranged with ATC, preferably before commencing the approach. Usually missed app instructions are issued with app clearance. If not, I ask for them.

Might also be a good idea to pre-brief for this possibility, taking account of obstacles in the vicinity, airspace limitations, etc. Perhaps even more important if operating single pilot, but is a good way to avoid last minute surprises for the PNF.

If flying a published visual approach procedure then climb to the altitude indicated on the approach chart.

If flying a self positioning visual approach, ask the controller issuing the visual approach clearance as to both altitude and heading requirements should a missed approach have to be flown.

You can confirm the missed approach procedures, as issued by the approach controller, with the tower when initial contact is made. They may have changes to the missed approach procedures to assure separation from VFR traffic near the airport.

An altitude sufficient to not hit anything. You're visual...

(Yes, I know that is a ****-smartass-fancypants answer, but it's true...)

But you are still IFR although flyging a visual approach, so wouldn't you need to fly an IFR altitude until cleared for another visual approach? -Or cancel IFR to enter the visual pattern?

I would fly the published missed approach procedure for the instrument approach which we were previously informed we were doing.

For example on contact at MAN you would be informed say "vectors for the ILS 23R" if say the gods have shined on manchester and it isn't raining for once and we request and get cleared for a visual. The missed approach off said visual would be the missed approach for the ILS 23R.

Its a bit like when you do a circling approach your missed approach is the approach that you decended on to cloud break to start the circle. Although to be honest knowbody has ever given me a sensible method of safely doing this.

Kuobin,

The FAA AIM states that, "e. A visual approach is not an IAP and therefore has no missed approach segment. If a go around is necessary for any reason, aircraft operating at controlled airports will be issued an appropriate advisory/clearance/instruction by the tower. At uncontrolled airports, aircraft are expected to remain clear of clouds and complete a landing as soon as possible. If a landing cannot be accomplished, the aircraft is expected to remain clear of clouds and contact ATC as soon as possible for further clearance. Separation from other IFR aircraft will be maintained under these circumstances."

The Canadian AIM states virtually the same thing. No altitude is specified other than to follow ATC instructions at a controlled airport and to remain clear of cloud at an uncontrolled one.

As mentioned above some published missed approaches do have missed approach procedures to follow, but the are nonetheless not an IAP.

best regards,

Bruce Waddington

All this advise doesn't really satisfy the consideration of the altitude at which you have to go around from a visual approach. Forget the reason for the need to do so, the fact is that you have to contend with the reality of the situation - most especially at aerodromes that are uncontrolled (i.e. where you actually have to think for yourselves and earn your money as pilot in command).

To me, it really doesn't matter whether the aerodrome is controlled or not. I will still ALWAYS brief a missed approach on the basis of my previous post. Start thinking for yourself!

If ATC is there, fine, start your go-around, tell them - though they'll obviously have seen it. If they then issue an alternative clearance, you can evaluate that against your own briefing so that you KNOW whether or not you're being given a "bum steer". The passengers are YOUR responsibility all the way to the terminal.

Ahh....how easy we forget the basics we learnt during our PPL/CPL days!!!

Many years ago in the back waters of SEAsia, I was humbled and shaken by a near airmiss after a missed approach after a visual approach. Years of flying into Syd where the local procedures called for a missed approach following the charted instrument missed approach........so by a force of habit, I carried out the RWY 25 ILS missed approach in KCH ( WBGG ) after being cleared for a visual approach onto that runway. We had sighted the runway but stuffed up the approach after being high and fast. It was a clear day with visibility of 10km or more but cloud base of about 3000 feet. The ILS missed approach called for a climb towards the VKG VOR climbing to 4000 ft. I was on tower frequency and unbeknownst to me, the approach controller had cleared another aircracft to overhead the VOR at 4000 ft and we nearly had a big fireball.........we were saved when my sharp f/o casually mentioned that we ought to join the visual traffic circuit; I said " what, who told you that? " He casually mentioned the name of one of the local training check captain's name and suddenly I had goose bumps; I didn't know why but I just yanked the aircraft into an immediate left turn as we almost disappeared into the stratus layer at about 3500 feet, followed by a real quick descent to circuit altitude as the tower come everly slowly asking our intention! It was a very quiet and squeaky request for another visual circuit when we were advised by tower that the approach ( there was no radar in KCH in the early 90s; no TCAS then, too ) control had cleared the other aircraft for a full ILS with an altitude restriction of 2500 ft until we have landed. Tower had expected us to maintained circuit altitude 1500 ft when we conducted the visual missed approach. It had happened so fast and I must say the tower controller wasn't on the ball too! We finally did another visual approach after the aircraft was sent around to the VOR for another full ILS approach.

What triggered the goose bumps and the sharp left turn which saved the day? About a year earlier had a route check and was debriefed by a particular line check captain that I ought to set the circuit altitude on the MCP altitude selector as the missed approach altitude and expect to join the aerodrome visual circuit should I had to carry out a go around during a visual approach. Well, this chap was a young chinaman who was made instructor/checker after less than a year as a captain on the B734 after coming down from the B744; well I guess we Oz expats did not take too kindly to young upstarts, suffice to say I didn't take him too seriously and just errr ed& hummed my way during the debriefing!! However I was truly lucky that subconsciously, that debrief leapt into me at the right time. And my f/o was similarly briefed on this by that same instrucor during his line training and he managed to sheepishly remind ( albeit casually ) this highly experienced foreign captain to join the visual circuit! Talk about divine intervention or providence!! I bought my f/o a full dinner with the whole works that night! And months later I ran into that instructor ( well, he had transitioned onto the A330 ) and I thanked him profusely.......he had forgotten about that debrief but mentioned that he was amazed at how we pilots have forgotten the basics that we learnt our PPL/CPL training after we obtained out ATPLs!

Short answer is.. Depends what specific state rules require. Ref Jepp or equivalent publication.

Accepting a Visual Approach is in fact canceling the IFR flight plan and if you choose to go flying past the last cleared point, probably the button of the active, don't expect separation from any IFR traffic. Stay clear of cloud and respect the VFR rules, other than that, you are on your own. Otherwise don't accept a "Visual".

BD

Busserday not in Europe you ain't.

Its quiet an eye opener this and a point learned about reading that bit in the JEPs which is usually only ever seen when you do the updates.

How can a visual approach cancel an IFR flight plan when it is defined this way...?

FAA.gov:

Mad Jock, reference please, I don't seem to be able to find a Jep reference to Visual Approachs for Europe.

It might not include it if its US only plates. I don't have a clue if it is or isn't

In an Eur version there is one book which has all the ICAO regulations in it which is as quoted by seilfly and then there is a section with all the differences which each individual country has filed.

And to add the second comment I made was to myself to read that section to see what the differences are.

me thinks potteroo is on to something correct. the local AIP or terminal charts will indicate missed approach procedures if charted like SFO or SYD. or if the tower clears you for a visual approach, the controller will give you a missed approach instruction in case you missed or if you carry out a go around you contact the tower pronto for instructions. in the absence of all the above, for god sake you are responsible for staying visual, avoid clouds, traffic and obstacles and join the prevailing traffic pattern. this more so in smaller airports where the tower is a one man show where the controller controls ground traffic, dishing out airways clearances etc. just because you are an atp flying big jets going to big airports with radar control and never joining a visual traffic pattern doesn't mean you forget your responsibility of visually eyeballing yourself into a visual traffic pattern after going around.

Sop Sop Sop Sop Sop
 

My company's SOP for such a situation was to climb to the missed approach altitude for the instrument approach that serves that runway.
If there is no such instrument approach, climb to normal pattern altitude
or MSA or MVA or as assigned by ATC.

Fly safe,


PantLoad

1,500 AAE unless otherwise instructed, which we usually are.