Warning of the risks of an unstabilized approach, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is urging pilots of all classes and types of airplanes to comply with standard operating procedures (SOPs) and industry best practices for stabilized approach criteria as well as missed approaches and go-arounds.1
In Safety Alert 077, “Stabilized Approaches Lead to Safe Landings,” issued in March, the NTSB reiterated past warnings that failing to maintain a stabilized approach could lead to a landing with too much speed or too far down the runway — and ultimately to a runway excursion, loss of control or collision with terrain.
“Regardless of the type of aircraft, the level of pilot experience or whether the flight is being conducted under instrume…
