Approach Stabilization:

an energy management problem

Flight Operations Training, Technical & Standards

 Discussion Objectives

• StableApproachCriteria–Interdependencies
• Stable Approach in terms of Energy
• Descent and Approach as an Energy Management
• Problem
• The Energy Dissipation Boundary
• EnergyDissipationMargin
• Results
• Un-StableApproachAssessment
 Stable Approach

• Stable Approach Purpose:

Consistent initiation and performance

of flare and landing

• Aircraft with reference behaviour

prior to flare and landing

• Sufficient duration
• Stable Approach Criteria:
• Suitable for intended flight crew population and anticipated conditions
• Target Speed

• Target Rate of Descent (ROD)

• Target Flight Path Angle (FPA)

• Target Thrust Setting

• Target Track
Either a deficit of energy (high/fast) may result in an approach-and-landing

incident or accident involving:

One of the primary tasks of the flight crew is to control and to monitor

aircraft energy condition (using all available refer- ences) to:

• Loss of control;

• Landing before reaching the runway;

• Hard landing;

• Tail strike; or,

• Runway overrun.
 Stable Approach

• Stable Apprach criteria and • reference The point at which the reference height is reached

are not independent: moves with the actual FPA flown

not fixed, not a reference

• When speed and FPA are fixed (say Vapp & -3o)

Replace with reference distance corresponding to

Then ROD, thrust, landing configuration are implied the intended reference height, now a target height

when on target FPA

 Stable Approach

• Approach Stabilization captured by 3 parameters:

1. Reference distance

2. Target height

3. Target speed

One of the primary tasks of the flight crew is to control and to monitor aircraft energy condition (using all available refer- ences) to:

• Maintain the appropriate energy condition for the flight phase (i.e., configuration, flight path, airspeed and thrust); or,

• Recover the aircraft from a low-energy condition or a high- energy condition.

 Stable Approach
3 parameters relate directly to energy:
 Stable Approach

Introduce the concept of

Specific Energy or Energy Height as:

E = E/mg
s

so that

E = h + 1/2g.v2
s,tot

Allows comparison of flights with different aircraft masses.

• We can now formulate a requirement for stable approach:

 Stable Approach

• Remarks

- Lateral deviation:

This method covers only vertical plane – does not detect lateral deviation

-Thrust:

V can not be maintained on a 3o FPA at idle thrust => so to ensure

app

thrust is• above idle at 500ft

Re-formulation ARL,
of the look for thefor
requirement requirement slightly
stable approach:
earlier: 1.88nm/600ft ARL
 Stable Approach
Minimum Stabilization Height

“Recommended Elements of a Stabilized Approach” shows that the minimum

stabilization height is:

1,000 feet above airport elevation in IMC; or,

• 500 feet above airport elevation in visual meteorological conditions (VMC).

Typical company policy is to cross the OM (usually between 1,500 feet and 2,000 feet above airport elevation) with the aircraft in the landing

configuration to allow time for stabilizing the final approach speed and completing the landing checklist before reaching the minimum

stabilization height.
 Aircraft Deceleration
Characteristics
Although deceleration characteristics vary among aircraft types and their gross weights, the following typical values can be used:

• Deceleration in level flight:

– With approach flaps extended: 10 knots to 15 knots per nm; or,

– During extension of the landing gear and landing flaps: 20 knots to 30 knots per nm; and,

Deceleration on a three-degree glide path (for a typical 140-knot final approach groundspeed, a rule of thumb is to maintain a descent

gradient of 300 feet per nm/700 feet per minute [fpm]):

– With approach flaps and landing gear down, during exten- sion of landing flaps: 10 knots to 20 knots per nm;

– Decelerating on a three-degree glide path in a clean con- figuration is not possible usually; and,

– When capturing the glideslope with slats extended and no flaps, typically a 1,000-foot descent and three nm are flown while establishing the

landing configuration and stabilizing the final approach speed.

Aircraft Deceleration
Characteristics

Whenever a flight crew is requested

to maintain a high airspeed down to

the OM, a quick computation such

as the one shown above can help

assess the ATC request.

 Back Side of the Power
Curve

During an unstabilized approach, airspeed or the thrust setting often deviates from recommended criteria as follows:

• Airspeed decreases below V ; and/or,

REF
• Thrust is reduced to idle and is maintained at idle.
 FMC-provided RNPs

• The FMC provides the RNP for the current route segment or terminal area procedure

from the navigation data base if available

• If no RNP is available from the navigation data base, the FMC provides a default value

according to the current phase of navigation:

– Approach 0.5 or 0.3 NM

– Terminal (below 15,000’) 1.0 NM

– En-route (domestic 2.0 NM

 RNP for GPS Approaches

• GPS approaches can be flown with RNP-capable FMCs

• GPS updating may also be required

• RNP 0.3 must be used and is normally manually

entered prior to commencing the approach

• Some operators have selected RNP 0.3 as the approach default value to
 Approach Requirements
Relating to RNP
With appropriate operational approval, approaches requiring RNP alerting may be
conducted in accordance with the following provisions:

• AFM indicates that the airplane has been demonstrated for selected RNP
• at least one GPS or one DME is operational
• any additional GPS or DME requirements specified by Operations
Specification or by the selected terminal area procedure must be satisfied
• no NAV UNABLE RNP alert is displayed during the approach.
 More About RNP & ANP

• Smaller RNPs require more accurate FMC updating sources

(DME-DME, GPS, etc)

• When ANP exceeds RNP, the airplane’s actual navigation position does not

meet the required accuracy and a crew alert is provided

Crew Alerting Occurs When ANP Exceeds RNP

– Caution level EICAS alert message during the approach phase, advisory

level at other times

– 777: NAV UNABLE RNP

 Course Tracking Accuracy

• Observe the relationship of the airplane symbol and track line to the FMC course

on the map display, and

• Observe the cross-track error on the FMC PROGRESS page 2

• Use of the autopilot in LNAV is normally the best method to ensure proper

course tracking!
 Response to an UNABLE RNP Alert

• Verify position using radar or other available navaids

• If on an RNP route segment or RNP terminal area procedure:

– Notify ATC immediately

– Make an immediate missed approach if on an RNP approach

– Request an amended (non-RNP) clearance

• If on the ground, a realignment is needed

 VNAV Approach Topics

• Types of approaches that are VNAV compatible

• Types of approaches that are not VNAV compatible

• Use of Decision Altitudes (DA(H)) versus Minimum Descent Altitudes

(MDA(H))

• VNAV-related changes to charted approaches and navigation data bases

• FMC “on-approach” logic

• Flying the approach

 Types of approaches that are not VNAV

compatible

• Non-ILS approach procedures such as RNAV, GPS, VOR, NDB, LOC, LOC-BC, SDF,

etc. that have one or more of the following:

– An appropriate path that has a missed approach point at or before the runway

threshold

– There is a glide path (GP) angle indicated on the chart and/or shown on the legs

page
 On the LEGS Page, a VNAV- Compatible

Path Will Have:

• An RWxx or MXxx waypoint at or before the approach end of the runway

– The waypoint altitude constraint will result in approximately 50 feet threshold

crossing height (TCH)

– Examples (runway 12, TDZE at 1000’ MSL)

– RW12 170/1050
 FMC Legs Page Shows

Glide Path Angle

Approach Diagram Shows

G.P. Angle and VNAV Compatibility

 VNAV DA(H)s also show VNAV

compatibility

Types of Approaches That Are Not VNAV-Compatible

• Approaches that do not have a GP angle, and

• There is no RWxx or MXxx waypoint with an appropriate path terminating at

approximately 50’ above the runway threshold, or

 The GP Angle Provides Obstacle

Clearance
• A published GP angle is evidence that:

– the VNAV path will arrive at the published TCH, and

– complies with underlying step-down altitudes

• The GP angle is constructed “backward” from the 50’ runway waypoint and normally

intersects the FAF altitude constraint

Typical VNAV Approach Procedure
 Autopilot Use

• Autopilot use is recommended on VNAV approaches

• Experience has shown autopilot use on non-ILS approaches to be beneficial

• Better vertical and lateral path tracking

• Lower workload

• Less possibility of below path excursions

 Waypoint Modifications for VNAV

Approaches

• Approach waypoints should normally be used “as is” from the navigation data base

• Use of a VNAV DA(H) requires use of a GP angle

• A straight-in intercept course to the FAF is permissible for

radar vectored approaches

• Appropriate cold temperature corrections to waypoint

altitude constraints are permissible

 Cold and Warm Temperature

Considerations
• The VNAV path coincides with the published angle only when the temperature is

ISA (standard). It will be:

– Steeper in warmer temperatures

– Shallower in colder temperatures

• Some approaches have a published minimum temperature

• In extreme cold temperatures, when appropriate, the pilot should consider adding a

cold temperature altitude correction to the FAF and approach transition waypoint
The VNAV Path Is Affected By

Temperature
 System failures

• With dual navigation systems most single navigation system failures will not result in

an UNABLE RNP alert or otherwise prevent an approach from being flown

• Loss of a single FMC or GPS receiver will not affect ANP

• If operating with a single updating sensor (such as GPS or DME if GPS is not being

used) or a single FMC there must be a non-

FMC means of navigation available for the approach and missed approach:
HAVE A NICE
TRAINING