A recent FAA Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing (ASIAS) review highlights the added risks associated with circle-to-land approaches and offers several reminders for operators and flight crews.
Circle-to-land approaches require maneuvering at low altitude and low airspeed near landing, increasing exposure to loss of control, terrain, and unstable approach risks. ASIAS identified 10 Part 91 and Part 135 accidents during circling approaches between 2008 and 2023, resulting in 17 fatalities.
The review points to a subset of airports where circling approaches are more common and emphasizes the importance of thorough pre-flight and pre-approach briefings, understanding obstacle protected airspace, staying within maneuvering areas, and preparing for higher workload and changing conditions. Voluntary reporting data also linked circling approaches to issues including unstable approaches, go-arounds, sink rate warnings, and loss of situational awareness.
For NATA members, the findings reinforce the value of careful planning, procedural discipline, and stabilized approach decision-making anytime a circling maneuver is part of the operation.