B737 Approach and Landing

B737 SOP chapter 9, Approach & Landing. By the end of this chapter you can recognise a stable approach, decide at minima, preserve landing distance and commit to a go-around when required.

• 4 pages
• 43 min of reading
• 12 question chapter check
• Notes, highlights and progress saved

What this chapter covers

1. 1
   The stabilised approachWritten from standard 737 phase-of-flight operating procedure
   12 min read
2. 2
   Minima and the visual segmentWritten from standard 737 phase-of-flight operating procedure
   10 min read
3. 3
   Landing and the stopWritten from standard 737 phase-of-flight operating procedure
   11 min read
4. 4
   The go-aroundWritten from standard 737 phase-of-flight operating procedure
   10 min read

737 approach and landing terms

Stabilized approach criteria

Nine FSF criteria: path, small corrections, speed, configuration, sink rate, power, briefings, approach checks, exceptions.

Approach speed band

Indicated airspeed at least VREF and no more than VREF plus 20 kt.

Sink rate limit

No more than 1,000 ft per minute, unless specially briefed.

Stabilization gate

1,000 ft above airport elevation in IMC, 500 ft in VMC. Unstable below it means go around.

Required visual reference

Approach lights, threshold, PAPI, touchdown zone or runway edge lights, clearly visible.

PAPI

Two white and two red is on slope. More white is high, more red is low.

Duck under

Descending below the approach path once the runway is in sight. It can cause a landing short.

Touchdown zone

Defined by the operator, for example the first 3,000 ft or first third of the runway.

Flare

Reducing the descent rate and bringing thrust to idle just before touchdown.

Go-around

Go-around thrust and attitude, flaps to the go-around setting, positive rate, gear up, fly the missed approach.

Somatogravic illusion

Strong acceleration in a go-around can feel like an excessive nose-up pitch.

ILS stability limit

Within one dot of both glideslope and localiser.

Try a question from this chapter

737 approach and landing questions