Circling approach: legal doesn’t always mean prudent

By Captain Bassani - ATPL/B-727/DC-10/B-767 - Former Air Accident Inspector - SIA PT. https://www.personalflyer.com.br - captbassani@gmail.com - Apr/2026

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Some procedures are fully legal yet demand above-average operational discipline. The circling approach is one of them. The reason is straightforward: it involves low altitude, low energy, often marginal visibility, and no comfort of a stabilized, runway-aligned final.

The difference from a straight-in approach is not just geometric. It is a difference in cognitive load, error margin, and exposure to judgment errors. The National Transportation Safety Board has highlighted in recent safety alerts that serious circling events are frequently associated with incomplete briefings, mismatch between expectation and actual conditions, and loss of situational awareness during the visual transition.

For professional pilots, the key point is this: circling is not just another operational option. Depending on the regulatory framework and procedure design criteria, the protected airspace can be tighter than it appears. Differences between ICAO (PANS-OPS) and Federal Aviation Administration (TERPS) directly affect geometry, protected areas, and available margins. In practical terms, what is legal on the chart is not automatically comfortable, predictable, or prudent for a given crew, aircraft, and scenario.

Another consistent finding in safety literature is limited training exposure. When circling is infrequently practiced in the simulator, it tends to be flown based on procedural memory rather than true proficiency. In a profile that requires immediate integration of speed, descent rate, bank angle, energy management, and external visual references, that is not a minor issue. It is an operational vulnerability.

For commercial and business aviation, the takeaway is clear:

1. Treat the circling briefing as a high-risk maneuver.

2. Question the operational necessity. It is not always the best option.

3. Assess the crew’s recent proficiency in this profile.

4. Clearly define wind, visibility, ceiling, and aircraft performance limits.

5. Establish unambiguous go-around criteria.

Ultimately, the circling approach is not critical because it is “old” or “complex.” It is critical because it concentrates, in a short time window, low altitude, low energy, visual transition, constrained geometry, and heavy reliance on human decision-making. In aviation, that combination is enough to turn a routine approach into a high-consequence trap.

Safe flights!

Captain Luiz BASSANI

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Sources

National Transportation Safety Board. (2023). Safety Alert on circling approaches.

Operations Group. (2023). Circling: Why is it so dangerous? https://ops.group/blog/circling-why-is-it-so-dangerous/

International Civil Aviation Organization. (n.d.). PANS-OPS, Doc 8168.

Federal Aviation Administration. (n.d.). TERPS, Order 8260.3D.

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