Circling approaches are a necessary part of general aviation operations due to certain airport environments or situations like unfavorable winds. However, circling approaches present an increased risk to general aviation operations because they require maneuvering at low altitude and low airspeed during the final segment of the approach to landing. This increases the risk of loss of control and terrain collision, both of which are significant contributors to general aviation fatal accident statistics.
The Aviation Safety Information and Analysis Sharing (ASIAS) program conducted an analysis of circle-to-land approaches to identify the contributing factors of safety issues experienced by flight crews conducting this maneuver. The outcome of this analysis suggests several areas of interest for flight crews.
See the full report here: circle-to-land_PDF_Mar26-1.pdf (40 downloads )
For more information, you can also reference NTSB Aviation Safety Alert SA-084, Circling Approaches, Know the Risks.