Why The Majority Of Go-Arounds Happen In The Final 500 Feet

Credit: Shutterstock, Simple Flying Published Jul 31, 2026, 8:00 PM EDT Louis is a military historian and the staff writer for History of War magazine, a leading military history monthly. He also has an interest in private and commercial aviation. Many frequent flyers will have experienced at least one go-around in their lives. However, the rarity of this event makes it deeply unsettling, as you can immediately tell that something has gone wrong. Go-arounds are not random events, but they occur when several factors converge, leading air traffic control or the pilot to determine that it is not safe to complete the attempted landing. Most go-arounds happen at the point where an aircraft reaches 500 feet (152 m) in altitude above the runway for several reasons. It is the point from which a pilot has to know everything is set for landing. This low altitude is also where conditions are most likely to make a landing no longer safe. Wind shear and unexpected gusts are common go-around culprits. What Is A Go-Around? Credit: Shutterstock A go-around is when the pilots abort a landing while the aircraft is on its final approach. An even scarier go-around happens when an aircraft touches down but has to take off again. The procedure can be initiated at the pilot's discretion, usually because something has gone wrong during the approach or the aircraft is insufficiently stable. ATC can also demand a go-around, such as if there is an obstruction on the runway that has to be cleared. Even with aircraft being safer than ever, go-arounds still happen occasionally, and each airport has its own go-around procedures. According to the Flight Safety Foundation, go-arounds occur at a rate of one to three per 1,000 approaches. The variation occurs due to differing operational procedures and some environments being more challenging than others. Go-arounds are also among the most dangerous aspects of modern aviation. Indeed, Boeing research found that half of commercial jet crashes between 2012 and 2021 occurred during approach, landing, and go-around phases.Outside of commercial aviation, go-arounds are important procedures for naval pilots. It is standard practice for pilots landing on aircraft carriers to apply full thrust after touchdown. If the tailhook fails to catch the arrestor cables, rapidly slowing the aircraft down, the jet must accelerate rapidly again to take off safely. Why 500 Feet Marks The Go-Around Hot Spot Credit: Shutterstock Most go-arounds happen at the point where an aircraft reaches 500 feet (152 m) in altitude above the runway for several reasons. This is because the 'stabilized approach gates' airlines form their approaches around (1,000 feet (304 m) in instrument landing conditions or 500 feet (152 m) in visual landing conditions) mark the last point where the airplane must be fully prepared for landing. This includes being in final landing configuration (flaps and landing gear being in the right position) and being at the right speed (usually within five knots of the target). Pilots also check that the aircraft is descending at an angle of around three degrees with a sink rate of 600 to 700 feet per minute (183 to 213 meters per minute). 300 feet (91 m) of altitude above the runway is the point where pilots are traditionally taught to go-around 'without hesitation' if anything is wrong. As a result, a huge number of go-arounds happen in this 200 feet (60 m) altitude gap, where pilots have to decide on a firm deadline. Another reason that this low altitude is the point of many go-arounds is that environmental effects start to come into play. Low-level gusts and wind shear can destabilize an aircraft, particularly during severe weather conditions. The closer an aircraft is to the ground, the less time that pilots have to take corrective measures. The Most Common Causes Of Go-Arounds At 500 Feet & Below Credit: Shutterstock Flight Safety Foundation created a report titled Go-Around Decision-Making and Execution Project. Researchers surveyed commercial aviation pilots to understand the factors influencing decisions to make a go-around. The table below shows how pilotsanswered their question, "What is the lowest altitude you believe a safe go-around could be executed from?" It shows that in the vast majority of circumstances, 500 feet is the altitude where a final decision is made. Only "You are stable, and all environmental conditions are good" had a majority answering differently, with 37% saying "threshold crossing." Please note that not all answers are included. Page 18 of Flight Safety Foundation's report details the full results, which are summarized in the table below. Circumstance 1,000 feet (305 m) 500 feet (152.5 m) 200 feet (61 m) 100 feet (30.5 m) Threshold crossing Just before reverse thruster deployment You are laterally slightly more than 1 dot away from the centerline approach course 11% 33% 23% 14% 14% 4% Your airspeed is plus 20-25 knots above target or up to five knots below target 13% and 5% 30% and 22% 19% and 22% 10% and 18% 21% and 27% 7% and 7% Thrust is at idle 11% 32% 21% 10% 16% 10% The aircraft is not properly configured for landing, such as the landing gear is up 38% 43% 7% 3% 6% 2% Your vertical descent rate is greater than 1,000 feet per minute (305 meters per minute) 12% 39% 26% 11% 9% 3% The aircraft is unstable, and the crosswind is slightly above 30 knots 21% 37% 17% 9% 13% 5% Flight Safety Foundation also collated averages across these categories for the lowest altitude where a safe go-around could be executed, with most sitting at around 500 feet above the runway. The highest average altitude was "aircraft not configured," while the lowest average altitude was for landings where the aircraft is stable and conditions are good. The Correct Go-Around Procedure Credit: Shutterstock Having decided to perform a go-around, pilots have to follow the correct procedure, as outlined by Pilot Institute. Accurately following the procedure is essential as go-arounds are among commercial aviation's most dangerous maneuvers. Pilot Institute draws our attention to the fact that, while Flight Safety Foundation's data shows that 4% of approaches are unstable, a go-around is performed just 3% of the time on these occasions. Part of that is a cultural issue of new pilots feeling like a go-around is an admission that they have made errors. The table below shows the correct go-around procedure, as identified by Pilot Institute. Stage Action 1 Decide to go around 2 Apply max power to increase airspeed and level off pitch 3 Move flaps to intermediate and begin climbing. 4 Achieve a positive rate of climb and retract gear 5 Retract remaining flaps 6 Sidestep away from the runway if necessary or requested by ATC. A sidestep may be necessary to take the aircraft away from the traffic pattern. This can be essential as the air traffic control won't have planned for the aircraft to still be in the airspace. Pilots have to maintain close contact with air traffic control throughout a go-around to ensure they don't stray into dangerous airspace. Another commonly required step is to adjust the trim. Pilots often have the trim pushing the nose steadily down during landing. However, this trim will make pulling the aircraft's nose back up feel incredibly heavy. Adjusting the trim back to normal flying levels is usually the best option. Pilots also have to retract the flaps to bring the wing shape back to normal flying requirements. That needs to be done gradually to prevent the aircraft from suddenly losing lift while at slow speeds. Common Go-Around Mistakes At 500 Feet Credit: Shutterstock Pilot Institute has also identified a range of common mistakes. These turn a go-around from a safe alternative to a destabilized approach to a maneuver that is far more dangerous than continuing the approach. The errors are far more common while a pilot is still in flying school, rather than once they are a professional pilot. The most obvious mistake is not recognizing the need for a go-around and then making the ultimate decision far too late. Alternatively, a pilot might realize a go-around is needed early, but freeze in panic rather than taking action. Bold steps are needed during a go-around, like pushing the throttles back up to full power. Otherwise, a stall becomes more likely. Likewise, the pilot needs to get the nose up fast to reinitiate a climb. The ground rushing up towards them is a firm and terrifying deadline. In the rush of activity during a go-around, pilots can forget essential steps. For example, they might remove flaps suddenly rather than gradually. The sudden loss of lift is particularly problematic for single-propeller aircraft, as the torque can force the plane into a spin. It is unlikely the pilot will be able to recover if a spin occurs close to the ground and at a low speed. Another issue with the speed required during a go-around is that it can cause a loss of situational awareness while the pilot focuses on ensuring all the necessary steps have been completed. Actually, situational awareness is most important during a go-around, with the low altitude and busy airspace creating the most likely need to avoid unexpected obstacles.