Ask the Captain: How do pilots execute a 'go around?'

— -- Question: Hello Captain Cox, I've been on a small number of flights where we experienced a go around just as we were approaching the arrival runway. The instances were either weather-related (heavy wind and rain) or the aircraft landing ahead of us not clearing the runway in time for ours to land safely. I'd be very interested in learning what steps a pilot performs in preparing and executing a go around.

— submitted by reader brooklynboy316

Answer: The requirements vary between airplane types. I can provide a generic answer for you:

When a go around is required, either by air traffic control (ATC) or by the pilots determining it is the better alternative to a landing, the power (thrust) is increased while simultaneously increasing the pitch attitude to establish a climb, the flaps are reduced to decrease the drag, and once a positive rate of climb is established the landing gear is retracted. Those are the initial steps.

A radio call to ATC is made telling them of the go around, and listening for heading and altitude instructions (there are printed missed-approach procedures for most runways but ATC normally provides heading and an altitude to climb to). Once the instructions are received, the pilots fly the assigned heading and usually reduce the power to prevent excess speed or overshooting the assigned altitude. Jets can climb and accelerate very quickly; it is often more challenging to slow the climb and acceleration than to execute the go around itself.

Pilots practice go arounds in the simulator. While they do not occur frequently, every professional pilot has occasions to do go arounds in the real world. Passengers sometimes are concerned about the safety of go arounds, but they are one of many maneuvers pilots practice to use when necessary and are safe.

The following question is a follow-up to a recent column about flaps-free landings:

Q: Isn't asking the passengers to assume the emergency position for a no-flaps landing a bit of an overreaction for a low risk maneuver?

— tsainta

A: It's a decision that the captain makes based on his or her experience and judgment. Having the cabin fully prepared for a possible evacuation is a conservative decision. I would certainly not attempt to judge it.

Readers, please leave your questions for John Cox here, and only leave comments about this week's column below.

John Cox is a retired airline captain with U.S. Airways and runs his own aviation safety consulting company, Safety Operating Systems.