Max Tout
26th Dec 2000, 05:03
On 19th December a relative of mine was seated by a window on a scheduled BA flight from LGW to GLA. The approach proceeded normally until at about the height she would have expected to feel the aircraft touch down. Instead, they appeared to maintain level flight at a very low height above the runway for a short period before the power came on and a go-around was commenced.
On the second approach this passenger definitely heard the gear travelling but is adamant that this was the first time since taking off from LGW (i.e. neither lowered for the first approach nor raised during the subsequent go-around).
No explanation was forthcoming from the flight deck for the go-around (merely a short apology for the late arrival due to delays at LGW).
I am interested in what other pilots think of this. Whether or not this was an inadvertent wheels up approach (unlikely I would have thought with serviceable warning systems), surely some form of explanation should have been made for the go-around, particularly at such a late stage in the approach. When another passenger on this flight enquired from a stewardess what had happened he was met with an offhand, 'Oh, we never get told'.
On the second approach this passenger definitely heard the gear travelling but is adamant that this was the first time since taking off from LGW (i.e. neither lowered for the first approach nor raised during the subsequent go-around).
No explanation was forthcoming from the flight deck for the go-around (merely a short apology for the late arrival due to delays at LGW).
I am interested in what other pilots think of this. Whether or not this was an inadvertent wheels up approach (unlikely I would have thought with serviceable warning systems), surely some form of explanation should have been made for the go-around, particularly at such a late stage in the approach. When another passenger on this flight enquired from a stewardess what had happened he was met with an offhand, 'Oh, we never get told'.