reducing "Crew-caused"
approach and landing
accidents 

Pilot-in-charge Monitored Approach

1. Standard normal operations policy.

For all IFR approaches (regardless of expected weather) duty allocations will in accordance with the tabulated PicMA procedure, including all specified call-outs, and terminate in an automatic landing if available.  

  1. The Captain as P1 will monitor the approach and make the landing.
  2. If landing, the Captain will take control following the "Decide" call at Decision Height.
  3. Autoland will be used if available, if not the autopilot should remain engaged to the lowest permitted altitude for the type of approach in use.
  4. The F/O as P2 will fly the approach and go-around.
  5. The F/O will use the aircraft's auto-flight capabilities to the maximum available extent.
  6. The F/O will resume Pilot Monitoring duties after the Captain takes control, with particular emphasis on monitoring of flight path by instruments.
  7. When an IFR approach terminates in a visual circuit, visual circuit procedures will apply from the point where the approach is broken off.    

 At the Captain's discretion, he/she may resume control above DH/MDA provided the following criteria are met:

  1. The aircraft is established on final approach in stable landing configuration.
  2. The probability of a go-around due to inadequate visual reference is nil (e.g. touchdown point is visible).
  3. The probability of a go-around due to other factors is low (e.g. runway clear etc).

2. Role reversal.

Captains should use their discretion to allow role reversal (operation in the P1 role by the F/O and the P2 role by the Captain), in appropriate circumstances. This means:

  1. The weather expected at the time of the approach is better than First Officer minima.
  2. Both crew members meet [relevant company criteria].
  3. If any non-normal aircraft condition arises or other circumstances change, once the appropriate checklist items and other immediate safety items have been completed, the Captain should assess whether conditions now require that the role reversal should be terminated for the remainder of the flight with the Captain operating in the P1 role.

3. Manual flying practice.

During normal operations, at the Captain's discretion and after considering the additional impact on workload for both pilots in the prevailing weather and other circumstances:

  1. The Captain may allow the First Officer to disconnect elements of automatic guidance systems at any point during the approach.
  2. Each element disconnected should result in increased emphasis on purely instrument monitoring of the flight path by the Pilot Monitoring, i.e. the P1 prior to resuming control, and the P2 subsequently.  
  3. Disconnection is similarly permitted during role reversal sectors, provided the Captain is confident that the First Officer understands the additional monitoring emphasis.
  4. If either pilot considers that workload is becoming excessive, autopilot and autothrust must be re-engaged.
  5. The [example below] criteria must be fulfilled. 

Desired practice

Minimum conditions.

Manual flying, flight director and autothrust engaged

IMC, destination weather better than 1000ft/5 miles

Manual flying, raw data, autothrust engaged

VMC, day or night. PM must set flight director modes appropriately

Manual flying, flight director, manual thrust

VMC day. PM must set flight director modes appropriately

Manual flying, raw data, manual thrust

VMC, day. PM must set flight director modes. PF must have minimum 1000 hours or 400 sectors on type.