During a go-around on the A320, which sequence of actions is recommended from decision to landing attempt?

• A. Apply TOGA thrust, establish climb, maintain positive rate, retract flaps per schedule, raise gear when safe and appropriate, continue climb to safe altitude.
• B. Push nose down to gain airspeed, retract flaps immediately, level off at a fixed altitude, accept a missed approach.
• C. Maintain current flight path and wait for ATC clearance without changing configuration.
• D. Descend to pattern altitude and attempt another landing from a lower speed.

Answer: (A)

When you go around, you want the aircraft to transition quickly from landing configuration to a clean, controlled climb while reconfiguring for safe flight. The best sequence starts by selecting takeoff/go-around thrust, which sets the engines to climb power and prompts the flight path to transition skyward. Once the aircraft begins to rise, you confirm a positive rate of climb, ensuring you’re actually gaining altitude rather than continuing to descend. After that, you retract the flaps according to the standard go-around or flap-schedule, reducing drag in stages so the airplane accelerates smoothly without overloading the structure or causing abrupt pitch changes. Only when it’s safe should you raise the landing gear, to minimize drag while avoiding any risk from gear not fully retracted. Finally, you continue the climb to a safe altitude, where you can manage speed and configuration for either an ensuing approach or a different flight plan.

This approach ensures you have enough thrust, climb performance, and clean configuration to reach a safe altitude promptly. The other options either push you toward a descent or a premature retraction that doesn’t support a stable climb, or ignore the need to reconfigure and climb when you’re essentially committed to a go-around.