Documenting a positive confirmation is the first step after radar identification following a missed approach

Radar SOP: The First Move After a Missed Approach When a Target Pops Up on Radar

Let’s set the scene. An aircraft has just missed its approach, and now radar brings the airplane back into view. In that moment, you’re juggling speed, safety, and clarity. The instinct might be to rush to the next instruction, but there’s a crucial first move that anchors everything else: document a positive confirmation. It sounds simple, but this one step creates the foundation for safe, orderly control.

What does “positive confirmation” actually mean here?

Here’s the thing: positive confirmation is all about identity and position. On radar, you’re confirming that the aircraft you’re seeing is the same one you’ve tracked in the system, and you’re pinning down its exact position relative to the airspace around you. That means cross-checking the radar target with the flight plan and any available identifiers—transponder code, call sign, altitude, and heading. It’s not enough to say, “there’s an airplane on the scope.” You need to say, “Yes, this is ABC123, at 8,000 feet, over this fix, with transponder code 1234.” That kind of specificity matters because it ties the target to a known record, and it gives you a reliable reference point for the instructions that follow.

In practical terms, positive confirmation reduces the chance of misidentification, which is the enemy of safe airflow. Think about trying to land someone who isn’t really who you think they are. The mix-up could cascade into wrong headings, improper clearances, or conflicts with other traffic. By documenting a positive confirmation, you create a clear, verifiable trail—an auditable snapshot of “who’s where, and who’s who” in the sky at that moment.

Why this step has to come first

If you skip this step, you’re basically flying blind with paperwork. You might feel pressure to move on to vectoring or holding, but without a solid identity and position, those next actions are risky. Documenting a positive confirmation serves several essential functions:

• It establishes situational awareness. You and your sector partners know exactly which aircraft is in question, which helps avoid miscommunication.

• It creates a traceable record. The time stamp, target identity, altitude, and position become part of the tape you’ll refer to as the situation evolves.

• It supports safe separation. Once you’re sure of identity, you can coordinate with other sectors, with the tower, and with the flight crew more accurately.

• It guides subsequent decisions. Depending on the trajectory, the aircraft might continue the approach, enter a hold, or be vectored for another path. Everything hinges on a reliable start point.

Next steps flow naturally from that solid anchor

After you’ve recorded a positive confirmation, the airspace manager can move forward with the rest of the response. Here are the kinds of steps that typically follow, and why they fit logically after confirmation:

• Coordinate with adjacent sectors. If the aircraft is now a known target in a high-traffic neighborhood, you’ll inform neighboring sectors about the identity and intent. This helps maintain separation across boundaries and reduces the risk of late handoffs or re-reads of the target.

• Review the flight plan in context. You’ll verify that the current actions stay within the expected trajectory, including any amendments from the missed approach procedure. If there are discrepancies, you’ll flag them and adjust.

• Decide on the immediate action: continue approach, hold, or vector. With identity locked in, you can assign a precise heading or radius stay within safe airspace, or place the aircraft in a holding pattern to wait for further clearance.

• Prepare for a clean clearance or return approach. If the runway environment calls for another try, you’ll shape the path to a stable approach with clear, reachable steps for the pilot.

• Update strip management as needed. The old flight strip—the paper or electronic record showing the plan—may need updating, but that update comes after you’ve established the current, correct status of the aircraft. It’s better to have a confirmed identity and position before removing or replacing strips.

What does “removing the previous strip” have to do with this?

You might wonder why not just tidy up the old flight strip right away. The answer is simple: you don’t want to erase a potentially critical anchor before you’re confident about the aircraft’s current status. The previous strip reflects the plan that was in play before the missed approach. Once you’ve documented a positive confirmation and established the new path forward, you can reassess and update the strip accordingly. In other words, strip management should follow, not precede, solid confirmation and updated instructions. It’s a small sequence, but it keeps the containment of risk tight.

A quick note on what you don’t do first

Notifications to surrounding sectors, or a sweeping review of the entire flight plan, might feel like the next logical move, but they’re not the immediate first step. You need the ground truth of who you’re talking to and where they are. Once that truth is in hand, you can broaden the circle of communication with confidence. This orderly approach reduces the chance of mixed messages and ensures everyone in the airspace has a consistent picture.

A real-world lens: why this matters in everyday radar ops

Radar SOPs aren’t lofty abstractions; they’re the day-to-day rules that keep aircraft safely separated in busy skies. Positive confirmation acts like a keystone. It ties in with complementary tools—radar displays, primary versus secondary radar returns, and transponder data. It’s not flashy, but it’s exactly the kind of precise, disciplined action that prevents collisions and confusion during a high-stakes moment.

If you’re new to radar operations, you might picture the cockpit like a chess match. You need to know which piece you’re looking at before you plan the next move. The aircraft identity on radar is your queen—when you lock it in, you can maneuver with clarity. The hold, the vectoring, the approach—these are the tactics that follow once the queen is in view and verified.

Practical tips to keep in mind

• Capture the essentials: time of identification, target identity (call sign or mode S readout), altitude, position, and any squawk (transponder code). A concise record is your reliable baseline.

• Cross-check with the flight plan. If the plan doesn’t align with the current radar picture, note the discrepancy and prepare an appropriate clearance or request for the pilot.

• Communicate purposefully. When you inform other sectors, keep the message tight: “We’ve positively identified ABC123 at 8,000 feet, currently over [fix], continuing with missed-approach procedure, awaiting further clearance.”

• Preserve situational awareness. Don’t rush to strip removal; ensure the new status is reflected in the strip and radar data before making a change.

• Practice with realistic scenarios. Build familiarity with the rhythm of steps: identify, confirm, document, then coordinate. The tempo matters as much as the content.

Common missteps to avoid

• Treating identification as a formality. It isn’t. A lack of robust confirmation can ripple into miscommunication and unsafe airspace coordination.

• Bypassing documentation for the sake of speed. Speed matters, sure, but so does an auditable record that can be reviewed if questions arise later.

• Removing the old strip before the current status is settled. It’s tempting to tidy up early, but that can erase a crucial thread of the decision-making chain.

• Overloading the moment with unnecessary details. Stick to the affirmations that matter: identity, position, altitude, and next steps.

Bringing it all together: the essence in a single idea

When a radar-identified aircraft follows a missed approach, the first, most critical action is to document a positive confirmation. This one step anchors the situation, preserves situational awareness, and sets the stage for safe, orderly progress—whether that means another approach, a hold, or a precise vector. Everything else flows from that anchor.

If you work in radar operations or study the flow of air traffic control, you’ll hear this echoed in different phrases, but the core idea stays the same: know who you’re talking to, know where they are, and record it clearly. The rest is choreography—coordinating with other sectors, updating the flight path, and guiding the aircraft toward a safe outcome.

Final takeaway

In the heat of a missed approach, the airspace can feel chaotic. Ground yourself with a clear, documented confirmation of the aircraft’s identity and position, and you’ll have a reliable platform from which to manage the rest of the scenario. It’s one step, but it’s the step that keeps the sky orderly, safe, and navigable for everyone sharing the air.

If you’re exploring radar operations, this guiding principle is a good compass to keep in mind: identify, confirm, document, then coordinate. Do that, and you’ll see the flow of decisions become smoother, and the conversation with pilots and colleagues become more precise. After all, in radar SOPs, clarity isn't just nice to have—it’s what keeps the airspace safe.