A new Company go around procedure required a MCP airspeed selection (LVL or FLCH) and a flap change at 800 FT which made the Reporter feel overwhelmed; unable to monitor traffic and maintain situational awareness.
Synopsis
A new Company go around procedure required a MCP airspeed selection (LVL or FLCH) and a flap change at 800 FT which made the Reporter feel overwhelmed; unable to monitor traffic and maintain situational awareness.
Narrative
We were on a visual approach to Runway 28. On very short final Tower told us to go around (departing traffic still on runway). I executed the go around using the new procedure. The 800 FT altitude turned out to be an awkward and seemingly inappropriate place to be manipulating the MCP (even if it is by the pilot not flying) and flaps. 800 FT happens fast with go around thrust. It would be safer to be looking for other traffic and paying attention to the airport environment at this point. My workload was substantially increased by trying to execute a procedure that I had only read about in order to learn how to implement the change in SOP. Tower gave us an initial altitude of 4;000 FT. The procedure would have been much easier (and; in my opinion; safer) using our previous technique of climbing out and looking outside for traffic and adherence to Tower instructions; not trying to clean anything up until altitude capture. Really; has anyone actually tried to do this new procedure in an actual airplane? This new procedure (and the lack of our training in it) makes me question the safety of its having been added into our SOP's.
NASA callback
The Reporter stated that the Company expected pilots to implement the new go around procedure after reading about it and then will test pilots on the next simulator check or training ride. The procedure worked but the pilots felt very rushed because MCP speed and altitude selections must now be made at 800 FT while setting the ATC directed altitude and retracting flaps. The Reporter was also concerned about the aircraft taking off from the runway as they began climbing and would have felt much more comfortable maintaining visual with that aircraft and cleaning up later. With this particular situation making so many aircraft configuration changes at 800 FT after starting the go around at about 500 FT felt overwhelming.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.