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2 Answers

Circling approach

Asked by: 2520 views Flight Instructor, General Aviation, Instrument Rating, Weather

If we are at the mda for a circling approach and we lose our visual of the runway what should we do? Can we make 180 turn and fly to the runway and go missed?

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2 Answers



  1. KDS on Nov 13, 2017

    The answer can be found in paragraphs 5-4-21 c of the AIM. You can view the AIM online here:

    https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/media/AIM_Basic_dtd_10-12-17.pdf

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  2. John D Collins on Nov 14, 2017

    One additional note, you don’t need to keep the runway in sight, here is what 91.175 says:

    Whenever an identifiable part of the airport is not distinctly visible to the pilot during a circling maneuver at or above MDA, unless the inability to see an identifiable part of the airport results only from a normal bank of the aircraft during the circling approach.

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