Mungo, I expect that is how the topic was presented to the intern who produced this steaming pile, but he found it more dramatic to present to people that pilots risk their lives every time they abort landings.
Because of the way it's presented (With SLF as the expert witness ) it's hard to see the real story about ATC relying on being able to tell pilots to go around if something doesn't work out, rather than planning to never let it happen at all.
I think go arounds can have a certain element of risk.
Capt. on a 737, while going around (aircraft on the runway) at KLGA (NEW YORK, USA), climbing to 2500feet, when suddenly, while passing 1200 feet, ATC screams: MAINTAIN PRESENT ALTITUDE, TRAFFIC, A SEAPLANE, AT 1500FEET.
My level off was a little bit less smooth than I would have liked.
There are a number of airports in the USA in which a go around can be a bit sporting. There was an incident at KLAS (LAS VEGAS USA) with a near mid air during a go around. (UAL and AA).
All flying is serious business, but when crowded skies are making go around less safe, we can't take things lightly
2) Increased air traffic at airports increases the likelihood of go-arounds.
3) Passengers are scared of go-arounds because:
a) they rarely experience them b) it feels like something has gone wrong c) pilots - for understandable reasons - do not often explain what has happened
That day the press editor was all f****d up with only having to write about iran,iraq,britney,obama and the other ma'am,so he found a great topic which will shake concerns. I doubt they succeeded..............or ???????? Press are useless...
But on my one and only go around as SLF, no one screamed, puked or otherwise reacted in any verbal way. Except me, who muttered imprecations because I knew that I would now definitely miss my connection. This scared the nice lady beside me, so I had to reassure her by explaining what had happened and why I was reacting. This explanation was rapidly backed by an announcement from the Captain.
However for all I know the incident featured heavily in a red top, with plenty of raging headlines and screaming passengers. But I was away and unaware of it.
The press need to fill space, so they basically fill out non stories.
As the plane began to descend, the weather was so bad that I could not see anything but a grey mass outside the windows," Krien, who is a journalist, said. "And there was turbulence...
Are those terrifying grey masses not called clouds? In which there may be some turbulence?
On go-around(from less than 20'), during clean up, and I make a quick PA to the folks about traffic didn't clear runway and we'd be on the ground again in about 5 minutes. Rough night, windshear, storms forecast but not at airport, so the folks are nervous.
Civilian pilot is amazed afterwards that I could make PA while flying a/c... no, we 'freeze' aircraft every time we make a radio call, and then 'unfreeze' it and start flying again.
Almost did two in a row, same flight, at JFK. Tower controller realized what was happening and stopped 31L departures and gave us a last minute change(about 1200') to 31L for landing.
Years, or decades, between go-arounds and almost had consecutive approaches end in go-arounds.
I was always told the go around was part of the instrument approach and executing it was no big deal. It still is no big deal, anybody can do it. The times I did it was a non event. Either an aircraft was on the runway or you couldn't see the runway at DH. Going around is so easy it shouldn't require discusion.
Location: Slaving away in front of multiple CRTs, somewhere in the USA
Posts: 119
Similar thread on airliners.net; journo needs to be flogged...
>>>c) pilots - for understandable reasons - do not often explain what has happened
Not fast enough to the pax's satisfaction, anyways, but they don't consider that the folks in the front "might be kinda busy.."
Best PA I ever heard on the subject:
GA occurred due to traffic failing to clear ahead of us. PIC came on about a minute later after some yanking and banking and opened his PA with "Ladies and Gentlemen, AS YOU PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE NOTICED, we didn't land and....." The humor took the edge right off, from what I could tell sitting in the back.
The worst thing about the 5 GA's ive had is the horrible thought that now im going to miss the first 15 minutes of the Jerry Springer Show where all journalistsand this SLF must surely be the star attractions.
GA's nothing more really than extra paperwork
And to any journalists out there.....come on, stop pissing around and get a real job that involves some small connection with truth and honesty
I always make an effort to affect a tone of near-boredom when I make my PAs about things pax might see as serious safety risks. They really are keyed-in to our attitude and demeanor, looking for cues by which they can calibrate their response. Time permitting I throw in a little recap of the weather to lend an air of routine to the whole proceeding. My own Mom is a nervous flier, so she helps me maintain awareness of their perspective.
Having experienced a couple of GA's from down the back, it can be a hairy experience for the uninitiated.
Especially as there is no PA, due to the heavy workload up front, the very pronounced pitch up, the big increase in noise and the sprightly climb due to light loading.
Once levelled out drama over......
This journo is really scraping the barrel with this.
I think the next story should be something along the lines of the dangerous procedure of braking after landing and the dire consequences that every airline passenger faces after touchdown......
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) it's hard to see the real story about ATC relying on being able to tell pilots to go around if something doesn't work out, rather than planning to never let it happen at all.
with only having to write about iran,iraq,britney,obama and the other ma'am,so he found a great topic which will shake concerns.
and this SLF 
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