How do you perform an Airbus A320 go-around in a simulator?
In real Airbus A320 flying and most flight simulators, a go-around means TOGA, follow the flight director, confirm SRS and either GA TRK or NAV on the FMA, then gear up on positive climb and clean up at acceleration altitude. The key is mode awareness, not just adding power.
What is the basic A320 go-around sequence?
The core Airbus A320 go-around sequence is simple, but the order matters.
- Decide and call it. If the approach is unstable, the runway is occupied, the aircraft bounces, or the landing picture is not right, call the go-around straight away. Trying to rescue a bad landing usually creates more work than flying the missed approach properly.
- Set TOGA thrust. Move both thrust levers to the TOGA detent. If the autopilot is already engaged in a study-level A320, it will often stay in and fly the manoeuvre correctly; if you are hand-flying, follow the flight director without making a big pitch snatch.
- Check the FMA immediately. On the top of the PFD you want a clear go-around mode change: normally MAN TOGA for thrust, SRS for vertical guidance, and GA TRK or sometimes NAV laterally. If you do not get the expected modes, fly pitch and thrust first and sort the automation second.
- Select flap one step. In most Airbus procedures and most good A320 add-ons, the first flap action is one step less than the landing setting, which is why the standard call is "go-around, flap". From FULL that means 3; from 3 that means 2.
- Positive rate, gear up. Once the VSI and altimeter show a genuine climb, retract the landing gear. Do not rush the rest of the clean-up while the aircraft is still close to the ground.
- Clean up at the proper altitude. At the procedure's thrust-reduction and acceleration altitudes, reduce the levers back to CL when prompted, lower the nose to accelerate, then retract flap on the PFD's retraction speed cues. If the missed approach is correctly built in the FMGS, the aircraft can then capture and fly it; if not, use selected heading and altitude.
That is the real Airbus logic and it translates well to most flight simulators. Simpler default A320s may model the details less faithfully, but the handling technique should be the same.
What should you see on the FMA after TOGA?
After TOGA, the FMA should show that the aircraft has genuinely left approach guidance and entered go-around guidance.
| Check | What you want to see | If it is not there |
|---|---|---|
| Thrust mode | MAN TOGA | Confirm the thrust levers are fully in the TOGA detent. Leaving them in CL or a reduced-thrust setting is a common sim mistake. |
| Vertical mode | SRS | Set a safe climb attitude and keep TOGA thrust. Do not keep descending while you troubleshoot modes. |
| Lateral mode | GA TRK initially, or NAV if the FMGS can take the missed approach | If NAV never arrives, fly the published missed-approach heading and altitude with the FCU. |
| Guidance source | Useful flight director bars or an autopilot that is following the go-around cleanly | If the autopilot does something odd, disconnect it and fly the bars or basic pitch and thrust. |
The exact labels can vary a little in simpler aircraft, but SRS is the big one. If you need a refresher on the FMA, FCU, PFD and ECAM, our breakdown of the A320 cockpit displays and controls shows where all of that guidance lives.
When should you go around instead of trying to land?
You should go around the moment the approach stops being stable or safe.
- Unstable by the gate. A good sim training rule is to be configured, on speed, on path and needing only small corrections by about 1,000 ft above aerodrome level in instrument conditions, or 500 ft in good visual conditions.
- Runway not clear. If there is traffic on the runway, a late take-off, or any doubt about clearance, go around.
- Poor alignment or excessive sink. Large bank angles, a rushed de-crab, or a high sink rate near the flare are classic signs to abandon the landing.
- Bounce or long float. A bad bounce in the A320 can turn into a second, worse touchdown very quickly. A go-around is the disciplined option.
- Wind shear, GPWS alerts, or ATC instruction. Treat them as immediate triggers.
If your trouble starts earlier on final, our step-by-step A320 flying guide for Microsoft Flight Simulator is the better place to sort out the whole approach flow before practising the missed approach.
Why did my A320 go-around go wrong in the simulator?
Most bad A320 go-arounds come from wrong thrust, wrong lateral guidance, or cleaning the aircraft up too early.
The aircraft would not follow the missed approach
This usually means the missed approach was not built correctly in the FMGS, or the aircraft stayed in GA TRK without a valid NAV path to capture. A mistake we see constantly is waiting for the aeroplane to sort itself out while it drifts away from the published track. If the path is not there, use selected heading and altitude, then fix the route logic on the next approach.
To avoid that, build the arrival and approach properly before descent. Our guide to programming the A320 MCDU and FMS in Microsoft Flight Simulator covers the setup that lets a study-level A320 fly the missed approach cleanly.
The speed bled away after TOGA
That is usually pilot-induced. Simmers pull too much pitch, retract flap too soon, or both. The fix is straightforward: keep TOGA thrust in, follow SRS, wait for positive climb before gear up, and do not start accelerating and cleaning up until the proper altitude.
The autopilot or flight director looked confused
That happens most often in simplified aircraft or after a mismanaged approach mode. Do not start stabbing at buttons below a few hundred feet. Fly the aeroplane first: TOGA, stable climb, gear up, safe lateral control. Once the climb is established, then sort out heading, altitude and any autopilot re-engagement.