could not get the 747 v3 to go around

[Guest]

I was on final in Miami and it was very turbulent with some 10 knot winds pushing me to the right, when I got to 50, 40, 30, etc the cadence of the voice was much too high, signaling a high descent rate, so I pushed the screw on the MCP panel for TO/GA and nothing was happening, I tried to move my physical throttles but nothing was happening either, I tried pressing the buttons on the throttles and still nothing. I had both flight directors on and I was in APP mode. This is probably a noob question and I'm not saying anything is wrong with the aircraft, it's obviously a user error. Something I want to point out is that before I took out the autopilot, on the MFD it said Landing III and in these types of approaches, to my knowledge the pilot cannot perform a go around as this is usually for autolands. But I had the autopilot disconnected and I disconnected it late because it is VERY difficult to fly an approach with the Saitek yoke, forget about a turbulent, crosswind approach. And I want to maintain realism so I want to have a smooth approach so I keep the AP connected until I am maybe 4nm out. I'm sure this is the reason but I just want clarification and a yoke recommendation because the Saitek yoke is extraordinarily sensitive and nothing like the real thing imo.

[Nighthwk 566]

19 minutes ago, seaniez said:

I was on final in Miami and it was very turbulent with some 10 knot winds pushing me to the right, when I got to 50, 40, 30, etc the cadence of the voice was much too high, signaling a high descent rate, so I pushed the screw on the MCP panel for TO/GA and nothing was happening, I tried to move my physical throttles but nothing was happening either, I tried pressing the buttons on the throttles and still nothing. I had both flight directors on and I was in APP mode. This is probably a noob question and I'm not saying anything is wrong with the aircraft, it's obviously a user error. Something I want to point out is that before I took out the autopilot, on the MFD it said Landing III and in these types of approaches, to my knowledge the pilot cannot perform a go around as this is usually for autolands. But I had the autopilot disconnected and I disconnected it late because it is VERY difficult to fly an approach with the Saitek yoke, forget about a turbulent, crosswind approach. And I want to maintain realism so I want to have a smooth approach so I keep the AP connected until I am maybe 4nm out. I'm sure this is the reason but I just want clarification and a yoke recommendation because the Saitek yoke is extraordinarily sensitive and nothing like the real thing imo.

Was autothrottle armed? If so, try disarming it and try to go around again.

[downscc 1,327]

1 hour ago, MajesticVladimir said:

Was autothrottle armed? If so, try disarming it and try to go around again.

Hmmmm. Where is that written.

I recommend the QRH be reviewed for proper go around maneuver.  It's page MAN.2.8 (pdg pg 528) for all approaches. I suspect you simply were not engaging the TOGA by pressing that click spot.  You can also click the button on the throttles in the VC Cockpit.  I have TOGA assigned to a button on my throttle.

[Guest]

33 minutes ago, downscc said:

Hmmmm. Where is that written.

I recommend the QRH be reviewed for proper go around maneuver.  It's page MAN.2.8 (pdg pg 528) for all approaches. I suspect you simply were not engaging the TOGA by pressing that click spot.  You can also click the button on the throttles in the VC Cockpit.  I have TOGA assigned to a button on my throttle.

When I clicked on TO/GA on the MCP I heard the sound that registers the click, same with T/O when I click it I can hear the sound. I'm also having another user related issue where for some reason from time to time, when I have the final altitude for my final approach fix dialed into the MCP for an ILS approach, with APP mode armed I reach that altitude by that waypoint and it does not descend on the glidepath, it's really annoying because then it pushes up the throttle and then I completely lose the glidepath and either have to scramble to get it down by taking out all automatic systems or just go around. Thanks for your help though, but I've already tried pressing all TO/GA buttons I knew there were in the cockpit and nothing was happening.

[icemarkom 59]

What was the active AP mode after you pressed the TO/GA?

 

Re: APP mode not flying the approach. Did you already intercept the localizer when you asked it to descend following the glideslope? Also, intercepting the glideslope from above is, generally speaking, asking for trouble :-)

[Guest]

At around 5 to 4nm out I disconnected the AP and flew the approach by hand, and I pressed TO/GA but nothing had happened at all, not even a change in AP mode. Correct me if I am wrong but by pressing the TO/GA button for a go around, shouldn't that both change the AFDS mode as well as increase engine power? I think I may have seen some sort of change in my peripheral vision on the MFD after pressing the TO/GA button above the attitude indicator, telling me some AFDS mode changed and was highlighted, but even with the mode changed, it still did not set GA thrust.

 

And for that little approach mistake of mine, that was what I did wrong, I guess I sometimes try to intercept the final approach fix altitude at a continuous descent rate from the initial approach fix. But when I was replaying that approach I made, I was maybe half a nautical mile away from my FAF and got the required 2000' just before I got to the actual waypoint and the autopilot decided to maintain my altitude when I got to it despite that little magenta diamond crossing the point telling me I'm on the glidepath, then plummeting to the bottom of the screen. That was the point of glideslope intercept and I had localizer and glideslope indications but the autopilot was not following them.

[signmanbob 592]

Did you have Go-around altitude in the MCP?  If Go-around altitude is not placed in the MCP as soon as you catch and lock the ILS and when you reach DH, then you will not be able to use TOGA with the autopilot.

[30K 72]

An other thing:

What was your speed setting in the MCP?

If it is Vref or anything that low the A/T will not go to full thrust because of the speed hold. If you set a sped value of let's say 220Kts then the A/T will push the engines to accelerate to 220Kts.

[berts 97]

Sean,

Unfortunately, one or two well-intentioned replies in this thread are not quite correct for the B744, so please also treat what I say here with the same strict caution - as you see fit! 

I have found that using TO/GA mode with the PMDG 744 works almost exactly like the real aircraft (i.e within the obvious limitations imposed by using flight sim software and Saitek hardware). 

Normally an automatic go-around is performed in multi-channel mode, but it can also be flown with a single autopilot or FD only.  It is armed when the Flaps are away from UP or at G/S capture, with the reference thrust limit changing to G/A.  TO/GA mode will remain armed until 2 seconds after 5ft RA, so if your aircraft was already programmed to land (i.e.with FLARE green and ROLLOUT green annunciated) then pressing the TO/GA mode might do nothing because it could be already too late in the approach/autoland sequence.

When TO/GA mode is engaged properly with a single push of the TO/GA switch the AFDS will control pitch and roll and the A/T increases thrust to establish a 2,000ft/min ROC and you will see the A/T mode change to THR.  A second push, if necessary, selects full go-around thrust and the A/T mode then changes to THR REF.

Things can happen very quickly during an autoland if you are not planning ahead and vigilant.  It is perhaps also worth mentioning here, Sean, that even real B744 pilots have been caught out whilst under training into thinking this mode wasn't working properly for them.  For example, if a TO/GA switch is pressed late in the flare and the aircraft touches down whilst executing a go-around the mode will still remain active.

Incidentally, I have one of my Saitek switches programmed immediately below the thrust levers to activate this mode.  So, although it is not exactly like the real aircraft, using my thumb to press it and activate TO/GA mode works very well for me and as you have probably found it is far more reliable than using your mouse and MCP screw method - especially in turbulence and a crosswind !

Bertie Goddard