Airport finds what goes around comes around Perth Airport is experiencing a higher than usual go-around rate due to the very strong easterly winds and the closure for repairs of the cross runway.
According to air traffic controllers, the missed approach or go-around rate for Perth, which is the highest of any capital city, has increased significantly because of the runway closure for repairs.
The airport was forced to close runway 06/24 – which runs north-east/south-west - for repairs in August and it will not reopen till March.
Pilots perform a missed approach if their plane is unstable because of strong cross winds or severe turbulence and wind shear.
In summer, the airport is sometimes impacted by strong winds off the Darling Range, which acts a little like a rock in a stream, and the wind tumbles off the hills, creating wind shear.
Pilots are also forced to perform missed approaches if the plane ahead of them doesn’t exit the runway quickly enough.
To see a video of a missed approach in Perth click here:
Airline Ratings
Perth Airport does not have any high speed taxiways and pilots sometimes must bring their planes almost to a stop before turning off the runway.
However a report conducted by British air traffic controller NATS found that some locals pilots were too slow to get off the runway.
The airport and Airservices, Australia’s air traffic control provider, are working on a number of initiatives to increase the efficiency of the runways.
For the passengers a missed approach can be dramatic with the pilot applying maximum power – often greater than take-off power to exit the area.
The procedures and route for a missed approach are briefed prior to the approach to land so everyone knows exactly what to do.
Air traffic control then vectors the pilots to a fresh approach.
Sometimes the pilots are too busy with air traffic control to advise passengers of the reason for the missed approach.