Unstabilised approaches

What this relates to:

An unstabilised approach in aviation refers to an approach to landing at the destination where the aircraft does not meet established safety criteria for a stable descent and approach to the runway, typically set by airlines or aviation authorities. These criteria include parameters like speed, altitude, descent rate, configuration, and alignment with the runway.

Example:

At the airport of arrival, stormy weather conditions prevail, with severe turbulence and wind shear, as well as heavy rainfall. On the approach to the runway, the aircraft veers off the glide path and experiences strong turbulences. The pilots decide not to abort the approach and continue on to land with strong glidepath corrections. The aircraft makes a hard landing. After landing, the mechanics must check the landing gear for possible damage.

Remarks on the 2024 figures:

Unstabilised approaches were mainly reported in commercial air transport. This involved deviations from required stabilisation criteria such as altitude, rate of descent, speed and configuration with a correct flight path and alignment with the runway centreline on the approach to the runway. Such drifts from target values are often caused by abnormal weather situations including turbulence, wind shifts and changing head- or tailwind.
No accidents or serious incidents were registered in 2024, but one third of the destabilisations were corrected rather late. Such events are analysed in detail within the safety departments of the organisations concerned. This process is supported by flight data and discussed with affected flight crews for continuous improvement. 

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Last modification 14.05.2025