When Circling Goes Wrong

By Lt. Adam Etheridge, VQ-1

Throughout our aviation careers, we conduct hundreds of approaches and landings. In turn, briefing the approach in a multi-piloted aircraft becomes almost second nature. However, it only takes one instance of uncertainty regarding the approach for the situation to quickly deteriorate.

On a night currency flight, we decided to conduct an approach into Missoula International Airport (MSO), Montana. There was little natural illumination due to a fairly substantial cloud layer, but visibility around the field was satisfactory. We requested and were cleared for the Very High Frequency Omni-Directional Range (VOR) for circling, VOR-A, circle to land runway 30. I read the published missed approach instructions to the other pilot as part of my approach brief (climb direct MSO VOR/DME, then climbing right turn to 8,500 feet, proceed outbound on the R-156, climbing left turn to 9,100 feet back to the MSO VOR/DME and hold as published). I visually picked up the runway and entered a left downwind for a touch-and-go on runway 30.

Following the touch-and-go, I initiated a climbing right turn in accordance with the published missed approach with the intent to intercept the R-156. During the turn, my copilot questioned the radial that I was intending to intercept. The dim cockpit lighting and low moonlight illumination made it difficult to see the paper approach plates.

However, we both reviewed the published missed approach and determined that it made more sense to make a climbing left turn following the touch-and-go in order to remain southwest of the field. As I initiated the left turn, approach gave us an immediate climb to 14,000 feet and a new heading followed by a Brasher Warning. It turns out, our northbound turn put us in a 9,800 feet minimum vectoring altitude at 8,100 feet. Thankfully, we were in visual meteorological conditions the entire time and able to visually maintain separation from terrain.

As I thought over the details of this event for the next several days, I identified some key takeaways to share with the aviation community:

• Identifying and understanding a unique situation.

• Importance of a detailed plan to execute missed approach instructions during different phases of flight – approach versus on-the-go.

• How quickly a situation can deteriorate given the perfect set of circumstances – the Swiss cheese model.

Admittedly, our community does not conduct circling approaches at the same volume as standard precision or nonprecision approaches. We did not use time-critical risk management to identify and discuss hazards associated with a circling approach prior to requesting it.

I should have developed a detailed plan of how I intended to fly the missed approach during each phase of flight and addressed it during my approach brief. I briefed the published missed as depicted on the approach plate, which began at the missed approach point (MADEF MSO). A more specific approach would have included the direction of turn toward the landing runway if I needed to go missed after starting to circle.

Additionally, I did not consider the aircraft’s position and altitude following a touch-and-go and feasibility of flying the published missed from that location. The circling minimum descent altitude (MDA) is 5,160 feet for a category D aircraft. After our touchand-go, the aircraft was approximately 2,000 feet below the MDA and northwest of the VOR. We should have asked for updated departure instructions or clarified our intent to make a climbing right turn northbound to intercept the R-156 with approach.

At the end of the day, the plane and the crew were safe, but events like this show how quickly the accumulation of several factors – nighttime, poor luminosity, dim cockpit lighting and failure to clarify the intent of air traffic control instructions –can lead to an unfavorable situation. Circling approaches can be extremely dangerous and require a high level of situational awareness. Flying the published missed from a touch-and-go is even more hazardous. It is my hope that reminders like this will benefit other aviators before they find themselves confronted with the situation in the air.