UK CAA warns airlines over rise in unstable approaches continued to landing

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has issued a new Safety Notice warning airlines and flight crews about an increase in unstable approaches that continue to land rather than being abandoned with a go-around. The regulator says this practice significantly increases operational risk. 

In Safety Notice SN-2026/008, issued on 4 August, the regulator said analysis of Mandatory Occurrence Reports (MORs) and operator safety data has identified a growing number of unstable approaches that are not discontinued. That is despite established stabilised approach criteria. 

A stabilised approach is one of aviation’s most important safety defences against landing accidents. It helps reduce the risk of runway excursions, hard landings, tail strikes and runway contact events. 

Continued unstable approaches carry far greater risk

The CAA notes that many unstable approaches end in uneventful landings. However, the regulator warns that this can create a dangerous sense of normality.

The Safety Notice cites historic Flight Safety Foundation research which found unstable approaches were a factor in 66% of approach and landing accidents. 

Additionally, the CAA’s analysis of UK occurrence data from 2024-2025 shows that an approach continued while unstable is 80 to 100 times more likely to result in an adverse event than a stabilised approach or one discontinued with a go-around. 

Runway excursions remain a major concern. However, the regulator notes that the most common consequences are hard landings, deep landings and tail strikes.

Go-arounds should be the normal response

The CAA stresses that aircraft commanders retain ultimate authority to decide whether, in exceptional circumstances, continuing an approach is safer than initiating a go-around.

However, the regulator makes clear that when an aircraft fails to meet defined stabilised approach criteria, a go-around should be the expected outcome, not an exceptional event. 

The CAA says any decision to continue an unstable approach should only be justified when a clearly identifiable hazard would make a go-around the greater safety risk. For example, in case of an aircraft system issue, a specific performance limitation or another defined operational hazard.

Conversely, the CAA says decisions should not be influenced by:

• Commercial or schedule pressure
• Low confidence in flying a go-around
• A belief that a go-around is abnormal or undesirable
• Busy airspace or air traffic control workload

The notice emphasises that approach, departure and air traffic management procedures accommodate safe go-arounds when needed. Busy airspace alone should not justify continuing an unstable approach. 

Operators told to reinforce training and safety culture

The CAA is calling on operators to strengthen their operational procedures and organisational culture to promote stabilised approaches.

Among the CAA’s recommendations are:

• Reviewing stabilised approach policies to ensure they are clear, objective and consistently applied.
• Reinforcing that go-arounds are a routine safety manoeuvre and do not indicate poor performance.
• Using Flight Data Monitoring (FDM) and Safety Management Systems (SMS) to identify trends in unstable approaches.
• Monitoring whether crews comply with stabilised approach gates.
• Ensuring recurrent simulator training includes realistic unstable approach and go-around scenarios.
• Encouraging a culture in which crews can report go-arounds and unstable approaches without fear of criticism. 

The regulator also encourages operators to review individual events through safety investigations. They should aim to understand why an approach became unstable, and why the decision was made to continue.

A focus of the UK’s aviation safety plan

The warning follows publication of the UK’s National Aviation Safety Plan 2026-2029 this April, which identifies unstable approaches as a key cause of runway excursions, and prioritises improving approach and landing performance. 

The CAA’s latest Safety Notice will remain in force until 31 August 2029. The extended timeframe gives operators several years to make the recommended changes in their training, operational procedures and safety management systems.