EK 380 go-around at LHR today

[xtypeman]

EK 001 did a go-around at LHR today was there any reason?

[Flying Wild]

EK 001 did a go-around at LHR today was there any reason?

Unlikely that they did it for fun...

[wiggy]

Well there must have been a reason, and I suspect the simple answer is somebody judged it wasn't safe to land.

.....I know that's not particularly helpful, but do we need to dissect and understand the reason for every go around performed by a commercial aircraft?

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

<<do we need to dissect and understand the reason for every go around performed by a commercial aircraft?>>

NO.. this is all getting a bit silly methinks!

[TurboTomato]

Exactly, could be any number of reasons. A bit like every 7700 being questioned as well.

[Yellow Sun]

EK 001 did a go-around at LHR today was there any reason?

Because they would almost certainly have died if they hadn't:rolleyes:

Happy now?

YS

[Neptunus Rex]

xtypeman

Your personal profile tells us nothing, ergo, I shall infer that you are not a pilot.

A go-around is a perfectly normal manoeuvre, which professional pilots are trained to perform, with the minimum of fuss. It might seem somewhat dramatic to the travelling public, but that is because it is carried out using full power, below max landing weight, so the performance (angle and rate of climb) is impressive. The thrust-to weight ratio on a go-around is considerably higher than that for a normal take off.

I stress, it is no big deal for a professional crew, however, it is a busy time in the cockpit, so it might be a few minutes before the Captain can give that reassuring PA to the passengers.

Windshear has caused me to go-around from the flare. Those two big, beautiful Rolls-Royce Trents on my A330 just punched in, and our wheels did not even kiss the runway. It was effortless and we were throttling back at 2,000 feet in no time at all.

I hope that this reassures you - drama it is not.

[Neptunus Rex]

Yellow Sun,

Brian - you must have sent your reply whilst I was typing mine. Cool response.

We must have performed a few go-rounds (for practice) when flying together, but there were rarely any any spotters around at Sun Station Sierra Mike, and no Internet Tweeters with video cameras in those days. Besides which, our steed of yore would have obliterated all with its black smoke, as four Rolls-Royce Speys blasted their way to max chat!

By the way, have you noticed the interloper of new, calling hisself 'Yellow Son?'

[mickyman]

An Emirates A380 did a 'touch-and-go' around at MAN last year that was
apparently a computer generated reaction to wind-shear.......

[Talkdownman]

Every approach might result in a missed approach.
Every approach might not result in a landing.

A missed approach is absolutely no different to a train waiting outside Waterloo station for a few minutes awaiting a platform. Do we worry about that too?

xtypeman - at the age of 54 you should have realised by now that a missed approach is a perfectly normal aviation procedure. Posting stuff like that on here will get dumb tabloid journos excited. Perhaps you are one already. Indeed, when HD and I were at LHR our boss (KCW) informed the press (who persisted in asking the same ****** question) that 'if my staff didn't have a couple of go-arounds a day they weren't working hard enough'.

Would you have asked the same question if it had been a Boeing 737...?

[VC10man]

Neptunus Rex, please excuse my ignorance, but would the 4 smokey Speys have been on a BOAC 707?

[Flightmech]

Neptunus Rex, please excuse my ignorance, but would the 4 smokey Speys have been on a BOAC 707?

I believe that too would have been 4 RR Conways on a BOAC 707?, like your VC10:ok:

[TwinAisle]

As a passenger on said EK001 today, and someone who has been a passenger on quite a few go-arounds in my time, I would like to raise a few comments without the risk of being shot down like xtypeman....

Firstly, you are all correct - the crew took it back up, headed back towards east London, and the couple sat in the centre section near me were pretty much blissfully unaware what had happened, until they saw clouds out of the windows where once west London was... it was that routine.

But I would be prepared to swear that we actually touched down before the go-around. Are ones that late usual? It was a hell of a bumpy approach, the ailerons and spoilers were twitching well - and the second landing was heavy enough to break a lot of glass in the bar. Nasty day today, clearly!

TA

[Reverserbucket]

But I would be prepared to swear that we actually touched down before the go-around. Are ones that late usual? It was a hell of a bumpy approach, the ailerons and spoilers were twitching well - and the second landing was heavy enough to break a lot of glass in the bar.

Ah, must have been a training sector then; that was a touch & go to a circuit to land! :}

[flying officer kite]

as routine as they are, i still find them fun to watch or experience.. Last time i was in Heathrow i saw 2 777s and an A340 go around in a few minutes.. got great pics :)

[givemewings]

Which bar? If you mean the lounge, there's no glass left in there for landing, everything's packed up. Unless a cart came open & racks of glassware fell out (very rare) you probably just heard the full-size liquor bottles clinking around, as they regularly do ;)

Weather in LHR has been very yucky the last few days- I thought it was meant to be autumn not the freezing depths of winter- couldn't feel my hands after 5mins outside earlier this week...

[FlyingEagle21]

I was over at T4 and there was a 90° cross wind, gusting 29Kts. I saw around four other Go-arounds in about an hour.

[Get me some traffic]

A very senior, well respected and erudite fleet captain of a major airline based at LHR, said at a conference on capacity, that if there weren't the occasional go arounds, ATC weren't trying hard enough. He was correct.

[TwinAisle]

I was about two rows up from the bar - and I can assure you glass got broken. The crew passed a comment about 'better tell the cleaners, there's broken glass in there'.

Also a very strong smell of booze - and vomit. Which is a shame, since the aircraft wasn't far off new, and smelt nice until that point! :)

TA

[TurboTomato]

I was over at T4 and there was a 90° cross wind, gusting 29Kts. I saw around four other Go-arounds in about an hour.

Gatwick was similar yesterday as well, very entertaining watching the approaches :}

[Skipness One Echo]

Why wasn't LHR landing on runway 23 then? Oh waaaaaaiiiittttt..........

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Get me some traffic. May I refer you to posting #10 above?

[777fly]

At LHR the occasional GA is expected if "ATC are doing their job properly", it happened to me many times when the preceding a/c was slow to clear the runway and is no big deal. BUT, frequent GA's in a gusting 29 kts 90 degree crosswind?? Is this a reflection of the degredation in handling skills of some of the latest generation??

[haughtney1]

777fly, no its much more likely either ATC advising a go-around or a departure from very prescriptive and restrictive stabilised approach criteria. A gusty 29kt x-wind is bumpy, but generally not beyond the realms of your average line pilot.

[Doors to Automatic]

But I would be prepared to swear that we actually touched down before the go-around. Are ones that late usual?

Not usual but not unheard of either. A go-around can be initiated until the point that the spoliers extend and reverse is selected. In your case it is possible that there was a late wind-shear warning (go-around mandatory) and in the time that it took for go-around power to be selected and the aircraft to begin climbing away the mains momentarily touched.

For those that like to bash pilots this is the sort of day where every penny of their annual salaries is earned in a few minutes!

[safetypee]

With the weather as reported, a better question might have been as to why there were not more go-arounds.

Is this a reflection of the degredation in handling skills of some of the latest generation??
No, a possible reduction in skills of judgement; not “can we do this”, but “should we be doing this”.

… not beyond the realms of your average line pilot.
Without be able to define average, nor knowing how close the cross wind was to the aircraft ‘limit’ (recommended or otherwise), or the crews ‘personal limit’, currency, etc (when did you last land at ‘max crosswind’, if ever), then a go-around is a commendably safe solution.

[TwinAisle]

Thanks for the comments, folks - enlightening!

TA