Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has identified seven key safety priorities and developed corresponding safety action plan to mitigate the identified risks. One of the key safety priorities is to reduce “runway excursions and overruns”. One of the factors leading to runway excursions is unstabilised approach which continue to landing. To emphasize this issue and develop action plan for reducing unstabilised approach which continue to landing, data for the year 2013 and year 2014 were analyzed and shared with the stakeholders during a meeting held on March 27, 2015 at DGCA, HQ. The study also points out that majority of unstabilised approaches have continued to landing, which mirrors the worldwide trend. The aim of DGCA’s endeavour is to encourage pilots to go around when approach becomes unstabilised. It also aims to reduce the number of unstabilised approaches by policy intervention and participation by all stake holders and fine tuning of training of pilots.
Earlier, DGCA has issued instructions in the form of circulars. Air Safety Circular 07 of 2004 prescribes speed control during approach (below FL100 and below 3000 feet and within 20 nm). The Operation Circular 01 of 2013 emphasizes on non-punitive policy towards Go Around. The Air Safety Circular 03 of 2010 requires the presence of cabin crew inside the cockpit and occupy the observer seat in the event if any of the flight crew member leaves the cockpit. The cabin crew in the flight deck will remain vigilant in case of subtle incapacitation of the flight crew member or any other situation that requires assistance. The cabin crew shall remain in the flight deck till such time the flight crew member returns to the cockpit.