Training and Safety Tip: Be ready to abort
In primary training, go-arounds are practiced routinely to ensure student pilots are comfortable aborting a landing if, for any number of reasons, the pilot deems it unsafe to continue. But what about aborting a takeoff?
Before the airplane ever starts its takeoff roll, there are several steps a pilot takes to ensure safety of flight. This includes the aircraft preflight check and the run-up check. If the aircraft gets past those two ”checkpoints,“ the pilot gains confidence that the aircraft is airworthy. But the assessment of safety factors continues throughout each phase of flight.
- I will announce on takeoff roll when the airspeed is alive.
- If we haven’t achieved 70 percent of the rotation speed by the time we're at 50 percent of our calculated takeoff distance, we will abort the takeoff. Use runway signs or visual references such as a windsock or a hangar to monitor how much runway has been used, and how much remains.
- If something is amiss while the airplane is still on the ground, I will reduce power to idle, apply brakes, and control the aircraft to continue forward even if that means going off the end of the runway.
- If anything goes wrong after the wheels are off the ground but before the airplane has reached pattern altitude, I will land on a predetermined spot within 20 degrees left or right of the nose.
- If an emergency occurs at or above pattern altitude I may land off-airport or, depending on altitude, return to the airport environment.
There may be additional factors you choose to include in your takeoff briefing as well. The important point is to make this type of briefing a regular part of your pretakeoff checklist for each flight. Doing so ensures consistency and less room for error.
It will become natural for you to be attuned to abnormalities that may require aborting the takeoff. Work with your flight instructor to establish this routine, knowing that the specific parameters will change slightly depending on the aircraft you’re flying, runway length, winds, and the emergency landing areas available in the immediate vicinity.
For more information, see the FAA’s Airplane Flying Handbook and the FAA Safety Team’s Aircraft Performance & Calculations fact sheet.
