GO AROUND
The aircraft is on final approach.
Landing gear down. Flaps set. Runway in sight.
Everything seems ready for landing.
Then the engines increase thrust, the aircraft pitches up, and instead of touching down, it begins climbing away from the runway.
Something went wrong, right? Not necessarily.
A go-around is a normal procedure used when continuing the approach or landing is no longer the safest option.
Sometimes it happens because of weather. Sometimes another aircraft is still on the runway. Sometimes the approach becomes unstable.
And sometimes the safest decision is simply to try again.
What is a Go-Around?
A go-around is the discontinuation of an approach or landing followed by a climb away from the runway.
Instead of continuing to land, the pilots apply the required thrust, establish the appropriate climb attitude, reconfigure the aircraft, and follow the applicable procedure.
Depending on when the decision is made, the aircraft may be hundreds of feet above the runway or already very close to the ground.
A go-around can even be initiated after touchdown in some circumstances, provided the aircraft is still in a condition where the aircraft procedures permit it.
The important idea is simple:
A landing is never mandatory.
If the conditions are not right, pilots always need another option.
Why Do Pilots Go Around?
There are many reasons why a crew may discontinue an approach.
One of the most common is an unstable approach.
Airlines establish stabilized approach criteria that normally consider factors such as:
Airspeed
Vertical path
Aircraft configuration
Sink rate
Thrust setting
Position relative to the runway
Completion of required checklists
If the aircraft does not meet the required criteria by the established stabilization altitude, company procedures normally require a go-around.
But instability is only one possible reason.
A go-around may also be necessary because of:
Runway occupied
Windshear
Sudden changes in wind
Poor visibility
Loss of visual references
Incorrect runway alignment
ATC instructions
Traffic conflicts
Aircraft system problems
An unsafe landing condition
The reason does not need to be dramatic. If the crew is not confident that the landing can be completed safely, going around is an option.
What Happens During a Go-Around?
A go-around creates a rapid transition from approach to climb.
The exact sequence depends on the aircraft and its procedures, but the basic concept is similar.
The pilots increase thrust and establish the required pitch attitude.
The aircraft begins climbing.
Once a positive climb is confirmed, the landing gear is normally retracted.
The flaps are then retracted progressively according to the aircraft procedure as speed increases. At the same time, the crew must monitor the aircraft's flight path, automation, navigation, and configuration.
One pilot normally flies the aircraft while the other monitors the maneuver, makes required callouts, changes configuration, and communicates with ATC.
A maneuver that sounds simple can therefore create a significant increase in workload.
Follow the Flight Mode Annunciator
Automation deserves particular attention during a go-around.
Modern aircraft may automatically change several flight guidance modes when the go-around is initiated. Pilots need to verify that the aircraft is doing what they expect.
This is why monitoring the Flight Mode Annunciator, or FMA, is so important. The crew should confirm the active and armed modes rather than simply assume the automation has responded correctly.
Knowing what the aircraft is doing is just as important as knowing what you want it to do.
What Happens After the Go-Around?
Going around does not simply mean flying around the airport and trying again. The aircraft will normally follow a published missed approach procedure or instructions provided by ATC.
That may involve:
Climbing to a specific altitude
Flying a particular heading or track
Navigating toward a waypoint
Entering a holding pattern
Receiving radar vectors from ATC
Once the aircraft is safely established in the climb and the immediate workload decreases, the crew can decide what happens next.
They may attempt another approach.
They may hold and wait for the weather to improve.
They may choose another runway.
Or they may divert to another airport.
The decision depends on the reason for the go-around, weather conditions, fuel, aircraft status, and other operational factors.
Go-Around vs Missed Approach
These terms are closely related, but they do not describe exactly the same thing. A go-around is the maneuver used to discontinue the approach or landing and transition back into a climb.
A missed approach is the procedure followed after an instrument approach cannot be continued to landing. For example, a crew may reach the decision altitude without acquiring the required visual references.
The pilots initiate a go-around and then fly the published missed approach procedure.
Understanding this distinction is useful when discussing instrument operations.
What If the Aircraft Is Already Very Low?
A go-around can be initiated very late in the approach.
Pilots may decide to go around close to the runway because of an unexpected event, such as another aircraft entering the runway, a sudden wind change, or an unsafe touchdown situation.
At low altitude, the aircraft may initially continue descending even after the pilots initiate the maneuver. Jet engines need time to produce additional thrust, and the aircraft has momentum.
This is one reason why pilots are trained to follow the correct procedure and avoid abrupt or excessive control inputs. The objective is not simply to climb as quickly as possible.
It is to transition safely from landing configuration to a controlled climb.
The Human Factor
One of the biggest challenges involving go-arounds is not technical. It is psychological.
Pilots naturally expect an approach to end with a landing. After preparing the aircraft, completing the briefing, configuring for landing, and flying most of the approach, there can be a strong tendency to continue.
This is sometimes called continuation bias.
The crew may think: “We can still make it work.”
That mindset can become dangerous when an approach is already unstable.
A go-around should never be viewed as a failure.
The real mistake is continuing an approach when the conditions no longer support a safe landing.
ATC Can Instruct a Go-Around
Pilots are not always the ones who make the decision.
ATC may instruct an aircraft to go around because the runway is occupied, separation cannot be maintained, an aircraft or vehicle has entered the runway, or another operational problem has developed.
In that situation, the crew responds immediately and follows the appropriate instructions. Once the aircraft is safely climbing, ATC can coordinate another approach or provide further clearance.
Why Go-Around Training Matters
Go-arounds are practiced regularly in simulators because they combine several important skills.
Pilots must control the aircraft, manage automation, change configuration, communicate, follow the correct flight path, and maintain situational awareness.
And all of this happens during a period of rapidly changing energy and workload.
Training makes the maneuver predictable.
Instead of improvising when something unexpected happens close to the ground, pilots already know what actions, callouts, and priorities are required.
Most approaches end with a landing. But landing is only the correct outcome when the conditions support it.
An unstable approach, unexpected traffic, deteriorating weather, windshear, or a runway problem can change the situation within seconds. That is why a go-around is not an emergency maneuver and should not be considered a sign of poor performance.
It is a normal part of flying.