Night landing at Guam in the Western Pacific region in a 737-200. Two parallel runways about 300 metres apart. 6L was 10,000 ft in length with ILS. 6R 8000 ft no aids no VASIS. Thresholds of both runways joined by taxiway at 90 degrees. Weather 1500 ft cloud base otherwise fine. We were cleared to make ILS to 6L and when visual below 1500 ft to break right to side step right to 6R. A normal SOP for Guam Agana Joint user military/civilian airfield.
Flew as instructed but once we side-stepped to 6R we lost all glide slope info due outside its 6L splay. Happily stabilised on 6R visual (no landing aids) we saw the outline of a big jet (PANAM 747) holding on the taxiway between the two thresholds. ATC cleared 747 to takeoff 6L. Very dark night so we could only see outline of 747 on taxiway and assumed he was taxiing away from us since ATC had cleared him for takeoff on 6Lb (the long runway).
We came over the 6R fence slightly high which was fortunate because unknown to us the 747 was opening to break-away thrust with his tail facing at 90 degrees to our flight path which was behind him. Suddenly our 737 almost fell out of the sky from 50 feet as the coplot called Christ - bug minus 20 and the 737 rocked laterally at the same time.
I firewalled both engines and pulled nose up to 15 degrees just as the aircraft was about to hit the runway very heavily out of control. The thrust took effect immediately and we got away from the ground as the wheels were about to hit the runway. It was a raw data instrument go-around. After we got over the shock of the near runway impact we were radar vectored back for the ILS for 6L and landed uneventfully.
Reason for the airspeed loss at 50 feet? Despite being cleared for takeoff immediately, the 747 had delayed moving from the taxiway to the threshold of 6L. Maybe the crew were still reading checklists? The crew would not be able to see our aircraft passing over the fence behind them due to the size of the 747. By the time we arrived at the threshold of 6R and within seconds of flaring for the landing, the 747 had opened up to breakaway thrust which caught us at 90 degrees. and 150 metres from the tail of the 747. The turbulence from its jetblast caused our 737 to sink rapidly. Fortunately we were already spooled up on short final which enabled firewall thrust available almost instantaneously. That and the windshear escape maneuver saved our aircraft from possible damage from a heavy landing. Our airline encouraged raw data instrument flying (our FD's were off) which helped during the go-around.
Last edited by Centaurus; 28th Dec 2020 at 12:26.