When is a go-around not a go-around?

[No comment]

This afternoon a B737 made its approach to LGW and had a little trouble getting down on the deck. Finally managed to get down around about half way down 26L. A couple of seconds later, she's back up again informing the tower of a go-around citing a "strange gust of wind" as the reason.

Now, I was always under the impression that when down, you stay down? Further still is it still a "go-around" if you have already touched down?

Forgive me if I'm being an uninformed non-pilot!!!!

[NigelOnDraft]

Was a topic discussing this sometime back...

<<Now, I was always under the impression that when down, you stay down?>>
No - in general, you are only committed to "staying down" once Reverse has been selected. Indeed, we have recently been in the Sim having GA's from after touchdown drilled into us (Qantas BKK 744 has something to do with it!)

<< Further still is it still a "go-around" if you have already touched down?>>
Yes

NoD

[mustafagander]

If we want to get picky, a "go around" happens in the air. After touch down it's a "rejected landing" in the lingo of our airline.

[rupetime]

If its unplanned such as this case I would still call "blah blah blah - going around" even if i had touched down.

RT

[Warped Factor]

When is a go around not a go around.....?

Well, one black and stormy night at LHR a few years ago it was when an Iberia A320 ignored the go around instruction and landed anyway :ooh:

WF.

[kepor]

That's the first time in my relatively short career I've heard of a rejected landing.

You can go around either in the air, or on the ground. Not really a good idea after spoilers or reverse thrust, as NoD says.

[slingsby]

Scenario 1
4000 ft established on ILS, hand over to tower, he can only instruct you to either continue approach, land or go around, whether you are at 5 miles + or 200ft or even worse case on the ground. The tower will give the go-around instruction, you comply, once stabilished in the climb, he will either give you a radar heading (to avoid conflict from multi runway airports) or instruct you to follow standard missed approach procedures, at which point his assistant will have call terminal radar and advised him of your go-around, you will then be handed back to radar for rejoining. = Go-around
Scenario 2
On the ILS and you get a config warning, cabin not ready etc, you call the tower, call xxx123 going around. then the same as above scenario = Go-around
Scenario 3
Established ILS, but still with approach radar, he instructs you to discontinue approach, take up a heading away from the ILS. This may fall into not being a go-around but this is the only scenario I can think of.

[FlapsOne]

Going around is exactly that! Going around to do it again.

It matters not a jot whether you are still airborne or have touched the wheels on terra firma.

Whatever the reason for this particular incident, the Captain obviously decided that the landing could not be completed safely and took the only other option available to him.

That must have been a very hard decision to make, but fair play to him for making it.

[Doors to Automatic]

I saw a similar landing at BHX the other day. It was a gusty morning and we were waiting at the holding point. A CRJ came in looking too high and seemed to float a long way down the runway.

Just before touchdown there was a gust of wind and he lifted up again by which point he must have been close to the end of the touchdown zone.

I was expecting him to go-around but he must have landed ok as I saw him on the taxiway once we were airborne.

[van der vart]

can we call it a touch and go?

[Anti Skid On]

Difference being a touch and go will normally be a planned action. I'd say it is still a go-around (say Mr. Experience here - one of my own volition and one when tower told me!)

[FDMS]

More to the point, will he be charged for 2 landings ? ;-)

[dexter256]

With any go-around there is always the bonus of a second nav approach charge. Airports charge the landing fee based on the wheels touching the tarmac, I guess the only way to avoid paying two landing-fees is to pull the gear up on the second try.

[Celtic Frog]

You also have aircraft doing automatic landings. A CAT IIIA (autoland) approach has a decision height of 50 ft above the runway. CAT IIIB even less (17 ft last time I did one). If there's a sudden gust of wind or any other situation which causes problems with the autoland system anywhere near these heights so close to the ground, and the pilots decide to go around, there's a few seconds required for the engines to spool up, so the aircraft is likely to youch doun for a few seconds before getting airborne again. It might seem pointless, but getting airborne is getter than contining a landing at an angle which may take the aircraft off the side of the runway.