In 2021, the Air Charter Safety Foundation was one of many aviation industry sponsors of the Citation Jet Pilots Owner Pilot Association (CJP) “Safe to Land” initiative. The main goal was to address runway excursions.
In concert with the Presage Group, CJP surveyed its members regarding decision making during approach and landing. And more than 200 Citation pilots participated in that part of the study.
In August 2021, 10 CJP members volunteered to evaluate the study results. They also proposed new SOPs regarding stabilized approach, landing parameters and go-around criteria. To evaluate these new SOPs, 20 CJP member volunteers conducted a simulator trials at FlightSafety International.
An exciting outcome of the study and simulator trials include new approach and landing SOPs that distinguish between “goals” and “limits.”
Many runway excursions result from approaches that are either unstable or become unstable after the approach gate at 500 feet. The existing “goals” for a stabilized approach (e.g.,, the speed goal of Vref -5 to +20 at 500 ft) do not provide a “yellow caution zone” where we can continue and attempt to correct an instability that doesn’t quite meet the goal, while committing to discontinuing attempts to “fix it” upon reaching a new “limit point.”
Because the goal and the limit are currently set at the same point, pilots have to make an instantaneous decision to go around (or not) at the approach gate. Our working group established new “limit boundaries” past the existing approach gates that give clear go-around criteria.
In October 2021, a progress report was provided to attendees at the CJP Annual Convention in Wichita, Kansas. The Presage Group as well as Leadership from CJP presented their findings as well as new SOPs for approach and landings.
Over the next 12 to 18 months, CJP anticipate full integration of these new SOPs, including training to them with a new curriculum for our simulator sessions.
Programming surrounding the initiative will begin on January 1 and continue for 18 months, including video training, a new cockpit briefing card, and a dedicated web page.
Astronaut Charlie Precourt, who chairs the CJP Safety and Education Foundation’s Safety Committee, discussed the new procedures during CJP’s annual event. “We believe the ‘Safe to Land’ initiative could be a real game-changer for the light jet community,” he said.
For more information, view this AOPA article.
Air Charter Safety Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.