CALLBACK Masthead
Number 295
April 2004
A Monthly Safety Bulletin from The Office of the NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System
P.O. Box 189, Moffett Field, CA 94035-0189

The Go-Around Decision

aircraft turningThe vast majority of approaches lead to uneventful landings, but occasionally a go-around is the right decision. Delaying the go-around to the last minute or, worse yet, attempting to "salvage" a bad approach, can lead to trouble. Generally speaking, if a go-around is a consideration, it is probably warranted. When in doubt, take it around.Although the circumstances were different in each of the following reports to ASRS, one phrase is common to all of them- "I should have gone around."

A Blown Opportunity

This instructor pilot missed an opportunity to demonstrate the right time and place for a go-around. Instead, both pilots got a deflating lesson about Newton's First Law of Motion.

All's Well That Ends Well — This Time

In two reports from air carrier flight crews, the landings worked out OK, but the pilots were professional enough to realize that similar circumstances may not always have the same result.

A Noteworthy Landing

While the proximity of a parallel taxiway saved this C152 pilot from an expensive lesson about distractions on final, a go-around would have prevented any need for an alternate landing areas.

Dysfunctional Dialog

Two men communicating through cansA sampling of recent ASRS reports indicates that non-standard phraseology and misinterpreted communications continue to be cited as contributing factors in many incidents. While they cannot address every situation, the Controller's Handbook (7110.65) and the Airman's Information Manual provide standardized phraseology that could help eliminate many communication errors.

Following Instructions

Although they were not specifically "cleared" for a visual approach, this B737 flight crew was led astray by a clearance that left some room for interpretation.

Crossing the Line

The clearance given to this C172 instructor pilot and student may have been misleading, but the time to clear up any confusion was before crossing the hold short line.

U-Turn? No, You Turn

Clear, concise communications are usually preferred over lengthy conversations. In the case of this flight attendant's request, however, a few additional words could have prevented the Captain's misinterpretation.


Gone West

aircraft flying into the nightIt is with great sadness that we relate the death of Captain Rex Hardy, the founding editor of Callback. Rex was 88 when he passed away on April 7 at his home in Monterey, CA.

Rex Hardy was a decorated Naval Aviator, test pilot for Northrop Aviation, and Chief Pilot at Lockheed before joining the team at NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System. Rex published the first issue of Callback in July, 1979 with the intent to provide an "interesting, instructive, and even-sometimes-entertaining" safety bulletin. Callback's continuing contribution to aviation safety is the result of Rex Hardy's vision, originality, and determination.


ASRS Recently Issued Alerts On...
MD80 loss of cabin pressure
ERJ135 loss of rudder control
Northwestern U.S. airport approach path obstacles
B757 shattered windshield due to electrical overheat
Southern U.S. airport similar sounding aopproach fixes
March 2004 Report Intake
 Air Carrier/Air Taxi Pilots
2,473
 General Aviation Pilots
901
 Controllers
44
 Cabin/Mechanics/Military/Other
115
 TOTAL
3,533
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