If you detect drift or misalignment during final approach, what is the recommended immediate action?

If you detect drift or misalignment during final approach, what is the recommended immediate action?

• A. Continue the approach and adjust with rudder.
• B. Initiate a go-around if alignment cannot be restored safely.
• C. Push the nose down and accelerate to catch speed.
• D. Land as soon as possible without correction.

Answer: (B)

The key idea is to keep a stable, controllable approach and not press on toward a landing when you’re not aligned. If you detect drift or misalignment during final and you can’t safely bring the airplane onto a proper runway-centered path, you should go around. This gives you the opportunity to reestablish the correct alignment and a stabilized approach with appropriate airspeed and configuration, reducing the risk of a hard or off-center landing. Going around is accomplished by applying full power, maneuvering to a positive climb, reconfiguring as needed, and re-trimming to a clean, stabilized state before reattempting the approach. Continuing the approach with misalignment or trying to “race” to the runway—by pushing the nose down or using rudder to chase the line—keeps you in an unstable condition and raises the chance of a dangerous outcome. Landing without correcting the misalignment ignores a fundamental safety standard of a stabilized approach.

The key idea is to keep a stable, controllable approach and not press on toward a landing when you’re not aligned. If you detect drift or misalignment during final and you can’t safely bring the airplane onto a proper runway-centered path, you should go around. This gives you the opportunity to reestablish the correct alignment and a stabilized approach with appropriate airspeed and configuration, reducing the risk of a hard or off-center landing.

Going around is accomplished by applying full power, maneuvering to a positive climb, reconfiguring as needed, and re-trimming to a clean, stabilized state before reattempting the approach. Continuing the approach with misalignment or trying to “race” to the runway—by pushing the nose down or using rudder to chase the line—keeps you in an unstable condition and raises the chance of a dangerous outcome. Landing without correcting the misalignment ignores a fundamental safety standard of a stabilized approach.