AA.III.J.R3
Go-Around/Rejected Landing
What does AA.III.J.R3 mean?
Power application..
- Area of Operation
- III. Takeoffs and Landings
- Task
- J. Go-Around/Rejected Landing
- Element type
- A Risk Management element — a hazard you must be able to identify, assess, and mitigate. These show up on the knowledge test and again on your checkride.
What you need to know
The big risk here isn't the go-around maneuver itself, it's hesitation—waiting too long to commit means you're now maneuvering close to the ground with a dirty configuration, low energy, and limited time, which is exactly the setup for a stall/spin or CFIT. A safe go-around means smoothly but promptly applying appropriate power, establishing a pitch attitude that stops the descent and gets you climbing, then cleaning up configuration (flaps, gear) and trimming in the right sequence so you don't balloon or sink while you transition. Situational awareness matters as much as stick-and-rudder skill: watch for traffic/collision hazards during the climbout, and if you accepted a LAHSO clearance, understand that going around may change your obligations and flightpath relative to the intersecting runway/traffic. Ultimately the ACS wants you to demonstrate that you'll decide to go around early and decisively, then fly a controlled, stabilized climb at the correct airspeed rather than a rushed, distracted scramble.
Why students miss this
Students often think of the go-around as purely a mechanical control sequence, but the ACS is really testing decision-making under delay and distraction, especially the scenario where a LAHSO clearance was accepted and now has to be abandoned safely. The trap is assuming a go-around initiated late or at low altitude is flown the same way as one initiated high and early, when in reality delayed recognition changes the sequencing priorities (power and pitch before cleanup) and raises the CFIT/stall-spin risk in ways applicants underestimate.
Focus on: Study the correct sequencing and priority of actions (power, pitch, configuration) specifically for a late or low-altitude go-around, and think through how a LAHSO abort changes your decision point and flightpath.
Drill this area until it sticks
AA.III.J.R3 came from a question you missed on the FAA Airline Transport Pilot Multiengine Airplane knowledge test. Drill ACS-aligned practice questions with AI explanations and the cited FAA handbook reference behind every answer — free to start.
Missing it isn't a verdict on you — it's a sign your prep skipped the why behind it. Memorizing answer letters is exactly what leaves gaps like this. Here, every answer explains the reasoning and cites the FAA source it comes from, so the concept holds on test day and at the checkride oral.
Study this concept
Plain-English explanations of the key ideas behind AA.III.J.R3, grounded in the FAA handbooks.
Related ACS codes in J. Go-Around/Rejected Landing
Other elements the FAA tests under this same Task — review them together.
- AA.III.J.R1Delayed recognition of the need for a go-around/rejected landing.
- AA.III.J.R2Delayed performance of a go-around at low altitude.
- AA.III.J.R4Configuring the airplane.
- AA.III.J.R5Collision hazards.
- AA.III.J.R6Low altitude maneuvering, including stall, spin, or controlled flight into terrain (CFIT).
- AA.III.J.R7Distractions, task prioritization, loss of situational awareness, or disorientation.
- AA.III.J.R8Managing a go-around/rejected landing after accepting a LAHSO clearance.
- AA.III.J.S1Make a timely decision to go-around/reject the landing.
+ 6 more elements in this Task.
Common question
How is a go-around after a LAHSO clearance different from a normal go-around?
Because you've committed to stopping before the intersection, you must be even more disciplined about recognizing early that a safe landing and hold-short isn't going to happen, since initiating late can put you in conflict with crossing traffic or leave insufficient runway for a safe climb path.
What is an FAA ACS code?
The FAA's Airman Certification Standards (ACS) break each certificate into Areas of Operation, Tasks, and specific Knowledge (K), Risk Management (R), and Skill (S) elements. Every knowledge-test question maps to one code like AA.III.J.R3. When you miss a question, your Airman Knowledge Test Report lists its code so you know exactly what to review.
Have a whole list of codes from your report? Paste them all into our free ACS code lookup to see every weak area at once — or browse the aviation glossary for plain-English definitions.