Private Pilot (Airplane) Go-Around Rejected Landing Lesson Plan

Private Pilot (Airplane) • ACS Area IV, Task N

The Private Pilot (Airplane) Go-Around/Rejected Landing Lesson Plan covers the knowledge, risk management, and skills associated with go-around/rejected landing with emphasis on factors that contribute to landing conditions that may require a go-around.

Private Pilot (Airplane) Go-Around Rejected Landing Lesson Plan

Introduction

  • Schedule

    Topic:
    Time:
    Part 1, Introduce the lesson:
    0:05
    Part 2, Go-Around/Rejected Landing Situations:
    0:10
    Part 3, Stabilized Approach Concepts:
    0:10
    Part 4, Factors Impacting Climb Performance:
    0:10
    Part 5, Go-Around/Rejected Landings Procedure:
    0:10
    Part 6, Go-Around/Rejected Landings Risk Management:
    0:10
    Part 7, Go-Around/Rejected Landings Guided Scenario(s):
    0:10
    Part 8, Practical Application:
    0:10
    Part 9, Conclude Lesson:
    0:10
    Remotivation/Closure:
    0:05
    Total Ground Time:
    0:00

  • Attention Getter:

  • Motivator:

    • Normal aircraft landings are the most basic of all landing procedures/maneuvers.
    • The purpose of this maneuver is to safely execute a landing under normal conditions (i.e., hard surface, minimal wind, plenty of available landing distance).
    • Normal landings are closely related to the performance of flight at minimum controllable airspeeds.
    • While this procedure is for normal landing, assuming the wind is blowing right down the runway, that will almost never be the case.

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Private Pilot (Airplane) Go-Around Rejected Landing Lesson Plan

Materials

Private Pilot (Airplane) Go-Around Rejected Landing Lesson Plan

Instructor Actions

  • Before the lesson, review reference materials.
  • Part 1, Introduce the lesson:
    • Introduce early go-around decisions when approach, landing-surface, or stopping criteria are not met.
    • Discuss aircraft-specific power, pitch, trim, and configuration sequencing.
    • Have the student reassess traffic, obstacles, and climb capability during the go-around.
    • Review the lesson plan, including the attention and motivator.
    • Review the airman certification standards (ACS).
    • Introduce normal approach and landing.
  • Part 2, Go-Around/Rejected Landing Situations:
    • Distinguish a go-around from a rejected landing; introduce bounce, balloon, and porpoising conditions that call for discontinuing the landing while maintaining the same control priorities.
    • Introduce go-around/rejected landing situations:
      • Excessive float.
      • Unstable approach.
      • Traffic conflict.
      • Wind shear.
      • Bounce.
      • Runway incursion. (PA.IV.N.R8)
    • Compare: Salvaging a landing vs executing a go-around.
    • Introduce why a go-around is a normal maneuver, not an emergency.
  • Part 3, Stabilized Approach Concepts:
    • Set objective go-around criteria before the approach and recognize landing expectancy or pride as reasons pilots delay the decision.
    • Review: Airspeed, descent rate, alignment, configuration.
    • Introduce stabilized vs unstable approach indicators.
    • Explain how unstable energy states develop.
  • Part 4, Factors Impacting Climb Performance:
  • Part 5, Go-Around/Rejected Landings Procedure:
    • Explain and apply stabilized-approach criteria for airspeed, descent, alignment, configuration, and energy state. (PA.IV.N.K1)
    • Apply wind, atmospheric conditions, and density altitude to go-around performance; recognize initial airspeed and lift loss after a rapid headwind decrease and use aircraft-specific windshear guidance rather than an airliner pitch target. (PA.IV.N.K2)
    • Explain and observe crosswind control through approach, any ground contact, and transition to a directional-control and wind-corrected climb. Identify and correct observed deviations to applicable ACS standards. (PA.IV.N.K3; PA.IV.N.S8)
    • Assess delayed recognition and low-altitude go-around hazards; make a timely discontinuation decision and choose a viable early escape rather than excessive pitch when climb cannot clear terrain. Identify and correct observed deviations to applicable ACS standards. (PA.IV.N.R1; PA.IV.N.R2; PA.IV.N.S3)
    • Assess power-application yaw, pitch, and trim hazards; explain propeller-arrangement-specific P-factor and slipstream effects and maintain positive control as power increases. (PA.IV.N.R3)
    • Assess configuration-change hazards and observe manufacturer-directed flap and gear sequencing, including applicable positive-climb verification; explain the lift-loss risk of abrupt full flap retraction at low altitude. Identify and correct observed deviations to applicable ACS standards. (PA.IV.N.R4; PA.IV.N.S5)
    • Assess collision hazards, scan departure traffic, and observe necessary movement to the side of the landing area to avoid conflicts; prioritize aircraft control and collision avoidance over blindly following a cleared path. Identify and correct observed deviations to applicable ACS standards. (PA.IV.N.R5; PA.IV.N.S6)
    • Assess low-altitude stall, spin, and CFIT risk; preserve stall margin, coordinated control, and a viable flight path without demanding unavailable climb performance. (PA.IV.N.R6)
    • Assess distraction, disorientation, and lost-awareness risks; preserve control, aircraft-state, position, terrain, and traffic awareness before lower-priority tasks. (PA.IV.N.R7)
    • Assess runway-incursion hazards and observe applicable avoidance procedures; discontinue landing for an unresolved aircraft or vehicle conflict. Identify and correct observed deviations to applicable ACS standards. (PA.IV.N.R8; PA.IV.N.S9)
    • Assess a necessary go-around after LAHSO acceptance, preserve separation, use applicable published or assigned rejected-landing procedures, and promptly advise ATC rather than force an unsafe long landing. (PA.IV.N.R9)
    • Observe appropriate checklist and radio use without delaying aircraft control or a necessary go-around. Identify and correct observed deviations to applicable ACS standards. (PA.IV.N.S1; PA.IV.N.S2)
    • Observe immediate takeoff power and transition to aircraft-appropriate climb pitch and VX or VY, then VY to a safe maneuvering altitude, maintaining applicable ACS airspeed tolerances. Identify and correct observed deviations to applicable ACS standards. (PA.IV.N.S4; PA.IV.N.S7)
    • Introduce prompt, smooth use of available power; anticipate yaw, pitch, trim, torque, P-factor, and slipstream effects, and reassess the flight path if expected climb performance is unavailable.
    • Maintain crosswind correction and a predictable runway track; avoid penetrating an adjacent runway’s final or departure path.
    • Introduce go-arounds/rejected-landings procedure.
    • Introduce aircraft configuration considerations during go-around:
      • Power application. (PA.IV.N.R3)
      • Pitch control.
      • Flap retraction sequence.
      • Select aircraft-specific gear-retraction timing that avoids retraction before assured flight. Use Q9107 to check this component; observe the stated airplane-class and equipment restrictions. (PA.IV.N.R4)
      • Trim effects.
    • Introduce delayed performance.
    • Discuss appropriate go-around radio calls.
    • Discuss traffic pattern conflicts during go-around execution.
    • Discuss go-around/Rejected landings common errors.
  • Part 6, Go-Around/Rejected Landings Risk Management:
    • Discuss restoring the aircraft-state, position, traffic, and terrain picture after an interruption while preserving aircraft control.
    • Discuss a necessary rejected landing after accepting LAHSO (Land and Hold Short Operations): preserve separation, follow a published or assigned rejected-landing procedure when applicable, and promptly advise ATC.
    • When LAHSO is accepted, brief landing distance, the hold-short point, traffic conflicts, and the rejected-landing path; decline LAHSO when those margins are unacceptable.
    • Plan and brief terrain and obstacle escape options without demanding climb performance the airplane cannot deliver.
    • Introduce go-around/rejected landing decision making.
      • When to stop trying to salvage an unstable approach.
      • Why delayed decisions increase risk.
      • Explain how expectation bias can delay recognition of an unsafe landing. Use Q9106 to check this component; observe the stated airplane-class and equipment restrictions. (PA.IV.N.R1)
      • Introduce collision avoidance/rejoining traffic pattern considerations.
    • Review power-on stalls.
    • Review elevator trim stalls.
    • Why premature flap retraction is hazardous.
    • Why excessive pitch causes stall risk.
    • Introduce low-altitude hazards:
      • Stall/spin risk.
      • CFIT (Controlled Flight into Terrain) risk.
      • Overrotation.
      • Aggressive climb vs controlled transition.
    • Task Prioritization:
      • Aircraft control.
      • Configuration.
      • Navigation.
      • Communication.
      • Discuss fixation tendencies during an unstable landing.
  • Part 7, Go-Around/Rejected Landings Guided Scenario(s):
    • Use a scenario requiring the student to recognize an unstable or obstructed landing, initiate a timely go-around, prioritize control over communication and checklist tasks, manage configuration and wind correction, avoid traffic and terrain, and explain any LAHSO complication.
  • Part 8, Practical Application:
    • Require student to:
      • Maintain runway tracking.
      • Scan for conflicting traffic.
      • Rejoin traffic flow appropriately.
    • Monitor transition to Vy/Vx, as appropriate.
    • Monitor configuration changes.
    • Monitor normal/crosswind/maximum performance climb procedures.
    • Monitor checklist completion.
    • Monitor workload management.
  • Part 9, Conclude Lesson:
    • Tie lesson back to previous lessons (power-on stalls) to reinforce past experiences (law of readiness).
    • Present the remotivation, conclude, and provide guidance for follow-on lessons.
    • Review student actions required ahead of the next lesson.
  • Update instructor endorsement records and the student's jacket, as required.
Private Pilot (Airplane) Go-Around Rejected Landing Lesson Plan

Guided Scenario(s)

Private Pilot (Airplane) Go-Around Rejected Landing Lesson Plan

Student Actions

Private Pilot (Airplane) Go-Around Rejected Landing Lesson Plan

Airman Certification Standards

Private Pilot (Airplane) Go-Around Rejected Landing Airman Certification Standards

Knowledge 3 ACS Elements
Risk Management 9 ACS Elements
  • PA.IV.N.R1:
    Delayed recognition of the need for a go-around/rejected landing.
  • PA.IV.N.R2:
    Delayed performance of a go-around at low altitude.
  • PA.IV.N.R3:
    Power application.
  • PA.IV.N.R4:
    Configuring the airplane.
  • PA.IV.N.R5:
    Collision hazards.
  • PA.IV.N.R6:
    Low altitude maneuvering, including stall, spin, or controlled flight into terrain (CFIT).
  • PA.IV.N.R7:
    Distractions, task prioritization, loss of situational awareness, or disorientation.
  • PA.IV.N.R8:
    Runway incursion.
  • PA.IV.N.R9:
    Managing a go-around/rejected landing after accepting a LAHSO clearance.
Skills 9 ACS Elements
  • PA.IV.N.S1:
    Complete the appropriate checklist(s).
  • PA.IV.N.S2:
    Make radio calls as appropriate.
  • PA.IV.N.S3:
    Make a timely decision to discontinue the approach to landing.
  • PA.IV.N.S4:
    Apply takeoff power immediately and transition to climb pitch attitude for Vx or Vy as appropriate +10/-5 knots.
  • PA.IV.N.S5:
    Configure the airplane after a positive rate of climb has been verified or in accordance with airplane manufacturer's instructions.
  • PA.IV.N.S6:
    Maneuver to the side of the runway/landing area when necessary to clear and avoid conflicting traffic.
  • PA.IV.N.S7:
    Maintain VY +10/-5 knots to a safe maneuvering altitude.
  • PA.IV.N.S8:
    Maintain directional control and proper wind-drift correction throughout the climb.
  • PA.IV.N.S9:
    Use runway incursion avoidance procedures, if applicable.
Private Pilot (Airplane) Go-Around Rejected Landing Lesson Plan

Conclusion

  • Re-Motivation:

    • Go Around Rejected Landing requires disciplined planning, stabilized energy management, and precise control from the approach through touchdown and rollout.
    • Evaluating wind, runway conditions, obstacles, aircraft performance, and personal limitations helps pilots recognize when an approach remains safe and when a timely go-around is required.
    • Consistent airspeed control, runway alignment, traffic scanning, communication, and checklist discipline integrate aircraft handling with sound operational judgment.
    • Continued practice with Go Around Rejected Landing prepares private pilots for changing conditions and increasingly demanding landing scenarios in later training.

  • Closure:

    • The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) provides test-taking guidance and test guides on its website.
    • To learn more about preparing for the practical test, visit the checkride page.
    • Advise students that this lesson will be used as a starting point for the next lesson.
    • Assign study materials for the next lesson.