What this profile covers
Selection, briefing, cross-checking, and observance of applicable decision altitude, minimum descent altitude, visibility, and required visual references.
Why it matters
Approach and landing concentrate configuration, weather, automation, runway, monitoring, and go-around decisions into a short period. For approach minima, useful analysis connects the immediate event with exposure, defenses, recurrence, and the wider operating system rather than treating one observation as a final conclusion.
Approach planning, path and energy control, landing contact, and runway-margin protection.
Understand the subject before interpreting a signal.
In plain language, this profile examines selection, briefing, cross-checking, and observance of applicable decision altitude, minimum descent altitude, visibility, and required visual references.
Build a multi-source picture
- Multi-parameter approach and landing flight data
- Weather, wind, runway, and procedure information
- Crew reports and relevant ATC records
- Operator criteria and aircraft-specific approved data
Timing, relationships, and recurrence
Relevant recorded context may include radio altitude, autopilot status. Use validated mappings and examine signal relationships over the applicable flight phase.
Do not turn an observation into a conclusion
A gate exceedance or touchdown value is a screening observation, not by itself a causal finding, handling judgement, maintenance determination, or universal definition.
Keep controlling material visible
Apply the current approved manuals, procedures, authority requirements, investigation evidence, and validated organizational definitions for any operational decision.
Radio altitude
Height derived from radio altimetry, normally representing the distance from the aircraft to terrain directly below within the system's operating range.
Open parameter guide ↗discrete / modeAutopilot status
Engagement and mode states for automatic flight-control systems; useful analysis normally needs more than a single on/off bit.
Open parameter guide ↗From a broad topic to a defensible safety review.
Define
State what approach minima means for the aircraft, operation, authority, and organization in scope.
Verify
Confirm the provenance, quality, timing, units, completeness, and limitations of every data source used.
Describe
Reconstruct what happened and quantify relevant exposure before discussing causes or corrective action.
Corroborate
Compare flight data with reports, operational context, technical evidence, and authoritative source material.
Test barriers
Identify which preventive, recovery, and consequence-mitigation controls should have worked and how their performance can be measured.
Assure
Assign proportionate action and verify whether the control and safety performance improve without harmful unintended effects.
Questions before conclusions
- Q1
How is approach minima defined for the aircraft, operation, authority, and organization being reviewed?
- Q2
Which precursors, recorded signals, reports, and external data would confirm the event and describe its context?
- Q3
Which preventive, recovery, and consequence-reduction barriers should work, and where could they weaken?
- Q4
What does recurrence, exposure, severity potential, or change over time show before choosing a safety action?
1 connected event profiles
These are terminology and family connections for exploration—not claims that FDM alone can determine the topic.
Go deeper into the closest ASIP research guides.
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Open intelligence brief ↗12 useful starting points
Original ASIP summaries lead to publisher pages. ASIP does not copy or host the reports.
SAFO 09016 — Rejected Landing Due to Loss of Visibility
Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for approach and landing and takeoff. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
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Open official sourceAnnex 19 — Safety Management, Third Edition
Annex 19 consolidates ICAO safety-management provisions, including State safety responsibilities, SMS, safety-data collection and processing, and the protection and sharing of safety information.
Open official sourceAnnual Safety Review 2025
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Open official sourceStatistical Summary of Commercial Jet Airplane Accidents, 1959–2024
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Open official sourceIATA Annual Safety Report — 2024
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Open official sourceAC 120-92D — Safety Management Systems for Aviation Service Providers
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Open official sourceAC 91-79B — Aircraft Landing Performance and Runway Excursion Mitigation
This FAA circular brings together landing-performance planning, time-of-arrival assessment, RCAM information, and operational practices for reducing runway-excursion risk.
Open official sourceSafety Alert SA-077 — Stabilized Approaches Lead to Safe Landings
The NTSB alert highlights the need to establish and maintain a stabilized approach and to go around when an approach falls outside applicable criteria.
Open official sourceHigh Load Event Reporting
The Airbus Safety First article explains why a pilot report remains central after a suspected high-load event and how recorded reports and analysis tools can support the applicable maintenance process.
Open official sourceSafety Management Manual (Doc 9859), Fourth Edition
ICAO's fourth-edition manual explains how safety data, risk management, assurance, culture, and governance work together in State and service-provider safety management.
Open official sourceGo-Around Decision-Making and Execution Project — Final Report
The Flight Safety Foundation project examines go-around policy compliance, decision biases, operational pressures, and the risks that also need to be managed during go-around execution.
Open official sourceCommon Taxonomy Team
International work on common aviation occurrence categories and definitions for consistent reporting and analysis.
Open referenceSafety Risk Management
European safety-risk process connecting data, safety issues, risk portfolios, priorities, and safety action.
Open referenceAnnual programmes and reports
Annual safety reviews and risk portfolios used to identify key risk areas, safety issues, and emerging issues.
Open referenceEuropean Plan for Aviation Safety 2025
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Open referenceOperational issues index
A practical discovery index for operational safety subjects; official authority and manufacturer sources remain controlling where applicable.
Open reference