QF422 [go around experience]

[clazman]

Watching QF 422 Melbourne Sydney on flight radar, abort landing and go around.

Never seen this before how common is it?

 

[JohnPhelan]

Happens more often than you'd think. I've been in one go-around. It can get a bit exciting if they decide to abort at the last minute and the engines suddenly roar back into life and you start a rapid climb!

 

[pjm99au]

Happened to me last week flying into Sydney due to wind sheer. Second time only in 20 years and 2000+ flights. So not that common from my experience.

The first time was flying into Brisbane and a plane apparently entered the runway before it should have as we were approaching

Had an aborted take off in Sydney a year or two ago. Now that was exciting.

 

[Mattg]

I've experienced 2 missed approaches in the past year or so. Don't know the reason for either of them - the first time, the reason was given only in Portuguese and the second time, no announcement was made.

Living near Sydney Airport, I do occasionally see aircraft go around. Could be for a number of reasons I guess - wind shear, an obstruction on the runway...

 

[clazman]

Did the flight crew say anything?

 

[pauly7]

Watching QF 422 Melbourne Sydney on flight radar, abort landing and go around.

Never seen this before how common is it?

I've had 5. 4 in Syd. So they don't faze me!

 

[pjm99au]

Did the flight crew say anything?

Each time the pilots explained the situation. The wind shear was self evident given how much we dropped and were kicked around before the power came on.

The aborted take off was an alarm that came on part way down the runway. 20 minutes to cool the brakes and we were off again after it was determined that the alarm was ok

 

[kermatu]

I've only had two in Oz (never in Sydney), but several in the US in far fewer flights. Two were at LaGuardia so the go around gave a stunning view of Manhattan! Was told that the very tight spacing in the US made go-arounds reasonably common and last minute.

 

[jb747]

Watching QF 422 Melbourne Sydney on flight radar, abort landing and go around.

Never seen this before how common is it?

It's a go around, not an abort.

They are common enough. My records show about .5% for the real world, though the simulator is about 50%. Basically they aren't any different to whatever you experienced during take off, though listening to some reports it sounds like you lead into them with a loop or two. Of roughly 20 go arounds in the past 20 years, none have been in the A380, a couple in the 747, and most in the 767. 85% occurred in Oz. 80% at Sydney. If you want to play with percentages a bit more...over that period, roughly 20% (each) of my approaches were in the 380 and 747, with the remainder in the 767. Sydney would be at the bottom of roughly 20% of landings.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

I had 7 go-arounds in one trip in 2013. Flying VA scheduled BNE-VLI
4 atttempts at landing in VLI all last minute go arounds due to low visibility.
Flew on to NAN to refuel. We weren't allowed off the aircraft of course as we were not officially in Fiji.

Back to VLI and another 3 attempts before they gave up.
In the end it was a 10.5 hour flight BNE-BNE.
I'm told VLI is difficult because they have to approach at 90 degrees to the runway due to mountains, then turn and land immediately.

 

[OzEire]

In the end it was a 10.5 hour flight BNE-BNE.

How many points/SC did you get for that trip ?

I'm told VLI is difficult because they have to approach at 90 degrees to the runway due to mountains, then turn and land immediately.

This is true in one direction, a spectacular approach if the weather is right.

So, you never actually made it to VLI ?

 

[ajd]

Had 2 go-arounds on a SYD-PQQ flight on VA a couple of years ago, after which we returned to SYD. Weather was absolutely terrible (and PQQ is a non-towered airport which I assume makes things a bit trickier for the pilots), so it wasn't all that surprising. Of course, there had to be passengers who started swearing and complaining very loudly to the FAs...

 

[esseeeayeenn]

How many points/SC did you get for that trip ?

Sadly none as we were on ID tickets.

So, you never actually made it to VLI ?

VA put on a special extra flight the following day. All the revenue PAX were automatically booked on this.
We managed to persuade them to put us on as well, although it wasn't automatic.
The weather was perfect and we landed at the first attempt.

 

[clazman]

Is there a difference between an abort and go around?

 

[Captain hum]

We had a go around at BNE coming in from SYD. Cabin crew just made an announcement stating the obvious "the captain has decided to perform a go around .." No reason given, but we did seem a tad high on approach..

 

[jb747]

Is there a difference between an abort and go around?

In pilot, not media, language.... An abort is something that happens on take off, and, depending upon the speed, can be a very big deal. A go around is a discontinued approach, and even down to the flare, is a non event. A rejected landing, is a go around that is started AFTER touchdown (but before reverse thrust is selected). Very rare.

 

[N860CR]

Had 2 go-arounds on a SYD-PQQ flight on VA a couple of years ago, after which we returned to SYD. Weather was absolutely terrible (and PQQ is a non-towered airport which I assume makes things a bit trickier for the pilots), so it wasn't all that surprising. Of course, there had to passengers who started swearing and complaining very loudly to the FAs...

The fact that it doesn't have a tower doesn't make all that much difference. If they installed a tower at PQQ and still had the same approaches then it's not going to make any difference. All a tower can do is tell you what they see and perhaps pass on some met data. If anything... It would simply provide more information to justify not even trying an approach and diverting.

 

[ajd]

The fact that it doesn't have a tower doesn't make all that much difference. If they installed a tower at PQQ and still had the same approaches then it's not going to make any difference. All a tower can do is tell you what they see and perhaps pass on some met data. If anything... It would simply provide more information to justify not even trying an approach and diverting.

Sounds reasonable.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

It's a go around, not an abort.

They are common enough. My records show about .5% for the real world, though the simulator is about 50%. Basically they aren't any different to whatever you experienced during take off, though listening to some reports it sounds like you lead into them with a loop or two. Of roughly 20 go arounds in the past 20 years, none have been in the A380, a couple in the 747, and most in the 767. 85% occurred in Oz. 80% at Sydney. If you want to play with percentages a bit more...over that period, roughly 20% (each) of my approaches were in the 380 and 747, with the remainder in the 767. Sydney would be at the bottom of roughly 20% of landings.

In pilot, not media, language.... An abort is something that happens on take off, and, depending upon the speed, can be a very big deal. A go around is a discontinued approach, and even down to the flare, is a non event. A rejected landing, is a go around that is started AFTER touchdown (but before reverse thrust is selected). Very rare.

Was watching some CH7 Sunrise "highlights" this morning of their recent RTW junket and heard Kochie refer to "an aborted landing and go around" - close but no cigar. Not sure if that was arriving in DXB or LHR.

 

[jb747]

The fact that it doesn't have a tower doesn't make all that much difference. If they installed a tower at PQQ and still had the same approaches then it's not going to make any difference. All a tower can do is tell you what they see and perhaps pass on some met data. If anything... It would simply provide more information to justify not even trying an approach and diverting.

I've seen cases where the tower is in the cloud, but it's clear underneath....and others where the fog starts below the tower.

The issues are the quality of the navigation aids, the runway lighting, the aircraft equipment, and the pilot qualifications. ATC doesn't really get into the act.