Go around!
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: Hyeres, France
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As passenger...
RTO at CDG in a BA 1-11 ( aaahhh ) late one Saturday evening in the late 70's...Speys spooling when suddenly thick black smoke poured through the vents....Immediate shutdown and down the slides, but with no more than 20 of us that night, all fairly undramatic....
GA at MIA in a PA 747 in the early 80's....Two attempts in heavy storms both had us over the zebras before Cap'n Thomas abandoned the third approach at about 1,000 feet and took us off to FLL instead....I've often wondered since if or just how much they had to strip off/out of the machine ( an old -100 ) to get it back out of FLL....
RTO at LHR about twelve or thirteen years ago in an IB 340....After pulling off to the left, an angry El Capitano came on the R/T and instructed everyone to check their mobiles were, indeed, switched off followed by a rather resigned comment that he would then need 90 minutes to allow the brakes to cool....
GA at MAD just a week later in a BA 737 from about 500 feet....No reason given....
In 9,000 hours and who knows how many Sectors, just one RTO - in CMN five years ago when at about 80 kts we suddenly saw the nose cone of our F27 detatch itself and vanish over the top of the fuselage....But far too many MA's to remember - probably most of them being ultra-cautious, but par for the course at small(ish) airfields here on the Dark Continent and so I never admit the blame for these....
RTO at CDG in a BA 1-11 ( aaahhh ) late one Saturday evening in the late 70's...Speys spooling when suddenly thick black smoke poured through the vents....Immediate shutdown and down the slides, but with no more than 20 of us that night, all fairly undramatic....
GA at MIA in a PA 747 in the early 80's....Two attempts in heavy storms both had us over the zebras before Cap'n Thomas abandoned the third approach at about 1,000 feet and took us off to FLL instead....I've often wondered since if or just how much they had to strip off/out of the machine ( an old -100 ) to get it back out of FLL....
RTO at LHR about twelve or thirteen years ago in an IB 340....After pulling off to the left, an angry El Capitano came on the R/T and instructed everyone to check their mobiles were, indeed, switched off followed by a rather resigned comment that he would then need 90 minutes to allow the brakes to cool....
GA at MAD just a week later in a BA 737 from about 500 feet....No reason given....
In 9,000 hours and who knows how many Sectors, just one RTO - in CMN five years ago when at about 80 kts we suddenly saw the nose cone of our F27 detatch itself and vanish over the top of the fuselage....But far too many MA's to remember - probably most of them being ultra-cautious, but par for the course at small(ish) airfields here on the Dark Continent and so I never admit the blame for these....
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One GA that sticks in my mind was at BHX Britannia 757. Daylight visibility good, no rain or any other limiting factor. we approached from the southeast, a good view of the tank farm at the end of the runway, suddenly full power, steep climb and bank to the left. The Captain announced that the GA was because "the aircraft taking off seemed a little slow in doing so". I assumed that the bank to the left was to ensure our path did not cross that of the aircraft taking off.
Flying in to CPH one foggy night in a Jestream 31, we knew that the PIC was under assessment by the Chief, because he told us (the Chief) before take off. The visibility was pretty awful and a jocular remark by one of the passengers (there were only six of us), "I wonder if he can find the airport?" was met with "I hope so because we're on the ground!" no more than second later the tyres hit the runway.
I was waiting in the bar at LGW looking almost directly down the runway. The traffic was very heavy, the intervals between aircraft taking off and those landing were getting extremely short. Then one aircraft landed at one end of the runway before the other had taken off. My impression is that the landing aircraft was touching down before the other had completed the rotate. I guess he considered he had no time for a GA as he would lose his place in the queue.
One failed take of at Schiphol which was very scarely as we all knew he wanted to stop the only question was would he be able to before running off the end of the runway. - He did - Just!
Anyone who has flown often will have an abundance of stories to relate.
Flying in to CPH one foggy night in a Jestream 31, we knew that the PIC was under assessment by the Chief, because he told us (the Chief) before take off. The visibility was pretty awful and a jocular remark by one of the passengers (there were only six of us), "I wonder if he can find the airport?" was met with "I hope so because we're on the ground!" no more than second later the tyres hit the runway.
I was waiting in the bar at LGW looking almost directly down the runway. The traffic was very heavy, the intervals between aircraft taking off and those landing were getting extremely short. Then one aircraft landed at one end of the runway before the other had taken off. My impression is that the landing aircraft was touching down before the other had completed the rotate. I guess he considered he had no time for a GA as he would lose his place in the queue.
One failed take of at Schiphol which was very scarely as we all knew he wanted to stop the only question was would he be able to before running off the end of the runway. - He did - Just!
Anyone who has flown often will have an abundance of stories to relate.
Join Date: Jan 2002
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Only flying frequently since 2002 and have experienced one 'off runway' excursion in CRL and a GA into MLA in horrible conditions.
The GA turned out to be a bit amusing. We were nearly on the ground when the wing dipped and the power came back on. After a few minutes the pilot comes on and says one word "gosh". I thought to myself that it must have been a close one. Shortly after he came back on and explained that we had got a bit of a tail wind just before touch down and decided that, because the runway was wet, to go around. All was well with the second attempt and as I exited the plane I noticed the name tag of the number one cc. Her name was Gosh. He must have pressed the wrong intercom button when trying to contact her after the GA. I'd say he frightened a few people with that one.
The GA turned out to be a bit amusing. We were nearly on the ground when the wing dipped and the power came back on. After a few minutes the pilot comes on and says one word "gosh". I thought to myself that it must have been a close one. Shortly after he came back on and explained that we had got a bit of a tail wind just before touch down and decided that, because the runway was wet, to go around. All was well with the second attempt and as I exited the plane I noticed the name tag of the number one cc. Her name was Gosh. He must have pressed the wrong intercom button when trying to contact her after the GA. I'd say he frightened a few people with that one.
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OK, as a pilot 13,700 hours and 5,000 sectors.
About 9 go arounds for real (plus about 300 I guess in simulator checks and training) plus about 5 as a pax.
Two stand out as worthy of comment (as a member of the flight deck crew):
1. 1992 B737 @ Dusseldorf; foggy, CAT3A approach to a DH (Decision Height) of 50ft RA (Radio Altimeter) - nothing seen - very unusual in real world. Wheels didn't touch during GA, I seem to recall a minimum RA achieved of about 10ft!
2. 1993 B737 @ Heathrow; very windy; 4th sector LHR-EDI-LHR-EDI-LHR. Held before approach for about 40 minutes, very turbulent, full pax load, most pax filled the sickbags!; made approach to the now disused runway 23 with the wind at about 190/55 (190 degrees @ 55kts or 62 mph); came out of cloud base and lost about 25-30 kts airspeed which caused a "Windshear" callout and a G/A from about 600ft. Convoluted non-standard G/A routing and a diversion to Stansted resulted landing with minimum fuel, and being unable to put steps to the aircraft as the wind was too strong. Out of hours so had to nightstop before flying back the next day - empty flight and achieved 5000ft by end of runway having some fun!
About 9 go arounds for real (plus about 300 I guess in simulator checks and training) plus about 5 as a pax.
Two stand out as worthy of comment (as a member of the flight deck crew):
1. 1992 B737 @ Dusseldorf; foggy, CAT3A approach to a DH (Decision Height) of 50ft RA (Radio Altimeter) - nothing seen - very unusual in real world. Wheels didn't touch during GA, I seem to recall a minimum RA achieved of about 10ft!
2. 1993 B737 @ Heathrow; very windy; 4th sector LHR-EDI-LHR-EDI-LHR. Held before approach for about 40 minutes, very turbulent, full pax load, most pax filled the sickbags!; made approach to the now disused runway 23 with the wind at about 190/55 (190 degrees @ 55kts or 62 mph); came out of cloud base and lost about 25-30 kts airspeed which caused a "Windshear" callout and a G/A from about 600ft. Convoluted non-standard G/A routing and a diversion to Stansted resulted landing with minimum fuel, and being unable to put steps to the aircraft as the wind was too strong. Out of hours so had to nightstop before flying back the next day - empty flight and achieved 5000ft by end of runway having some fun!
It seems I have the most boring trips. No RTO, just a return to stand after a very very short push back in NCL back in September 1996.
And a GA very early (if it makes sense) on an LHR - AMS flight in July 2006 because the cabin was not secured. The FA were still clearing the snack service.
Rwy in Sight
And a GA very early (if it makes sense) on an LHR - AMS flight in July 2006 because the cabin was not secured. The FA were still clearing the snack service.
Rwy in Sight
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Not much - thirty odd years of pottering around the western world on aeroplanes - used to be a flight deck groupie 
- one go around and a rejected push back. Can you have one of those?
Didn't push back in Cincinnati because of a couple of holes in the leading edge of a 727 cause by lightning strikes. Glued up
in about ten minutes. Started engines on shore line at Arlander because of inop APU (BA 767) and one GA because of burst main gear on aeroplane ahead of us Paris - LGW. (BMI 737)
Some people get all the fun, but I did a Cat III on the jump seat (bench across the door) of a Moscow-LHR BA 737 in about '83 that made all the other passengers wonder if I had been flying it!
Roger.
- one go around and a rejected push back. Can you have one of those?Didn't push back in Cincinnati because of a couple of holes in the leading edge of a 727 cause by lightning strikes. Glued up
in about ten minutes. Started engines on shore line at Arlander because of inop APU (BA 767) and one GA because of burst main gear on aeroplane ahead of us Paris - LGW. (BMI 737)Some people get all the fun, but I did a Cat III on the jump seat (bench across the door) of a Moscow-LHR BA 737 in about '83 that made all the other passengers wonder if I had been flying it!
Roger.
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Don't know if this counts!
Had two engine failures in about a 120 flights as passenger. Both DC10.
One (NWA) out of Gatwick about 1994 just after getting airborne. Hell of a bang followed by much vibration. Never climbed above 3000 according to the inflight gps. Dumped fuel all over the place and was back on the deck within about 15 minutes! Despite appeals to remain seated the FAs were pushed out the way by some pax who were determined to leave at the earliest! It was also the captains last flight before retiring.
Another time was in Calgary. Canadian I think. Happened just at rotation and I got to see bits flying out the left engine being seated close by. Flew around for 6-7 hours before landing at Winnipeg.
Looked after very well on both occasions but I know that some pax never got back on the replacement aircraft!
One (NWA) out of Gatwick about 1994 just after getting airborne. Hell of a bang followed by much vibration. Never climbed above 3000 according to the inflight gps. Dumped fuel all over the place and was back on the deck within about 15 minutes! Despite appeals to remain seated the FAs were pushed out the way by some pax who were determined to leave at the earliest! It was also the captains last flight before retiring.
Another time was in Calgary. Canadian I think. Happened just at rotation and I got to see bits flying out the left engine being seated close by. Flew around for 6-7 hours before landing at Winnipeg.
Looked after very well on both occasions but I know that some pax never got back on the replacement aircraft!
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Goaround
In over 150 sectors as SLF I have had 2 GA's - Both on the same flight (Ezy Luton to Madrid) One due to too fast approach, and the other wake turbulance avoidance. The second GA made one wonder.
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Sounds like I've had a very boring flying life - I've been on commercial flights since the age of 7 (in 1985) and flown at least once, more like two or three return flights pretty much every year, so probably in the region of 100 commercial flights, and I've never once had a go around or rejected take-off.
I'm making up for it in my PPL training though...
I'm making up for it in my PPL training though...
One go for around for me, flying as SLF with UA landing, at the old Kai Tak airport in absolutely filthy weather. We got in at the second attempt coming in over the harbour (no chance of seeing the checker board). There was no communication until we landed, which I put down to heavy pilot workload (although United pilots aren't always the most talkative), nothing from CC. Whilst I wasn't concerned - HKG flights will carry plenty of reserves, I was wondering what the nominated alternate was. Maybe Kaohsiung? Or TPE as it was a company station? (I wasn't expecting us to get in to HKG due to the weather.) This was before Macao airport was open and you would try and avoid landing in China).
How shall we say, interesting.
How shall we say, interesting.
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In about 6 years of intensive business flying as pax - 3 go-arounds, no rejected take offs, and 1 lightning strike (on approach at Heathrow).
The most 'interesting' though was a 'nearly' go around at Schiphol during severe weather in June 2007. The approach was the worse I ever experienced literally being thrown around in my seat. Outside was very murky with several lightning flashes seen. Then I heard the engines go full-power and I thought 'please don't go back up into this mess!' but within a second we popped out of cloud and went on to make an uneventful landing.
It took me several flights before I could properly relax again, and I wish they would just divert in conditions like that.
The most 'interesting' though was a 'nearly' go around at Schiphol during severe weather in June 2007. The approach was the worse I ever experienced literally being thrown around in my seat. Outside was very murky with several lightning flashes seen. Then I heard the engines go full-power and I thought 'please don't go back up into this mess!' but within a second we popped out of cloud and went on to make an uneventful landing.
It took me several flights before I could properly relax again, and I wish they would just divert in conditions like that.
FX Guru
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pedal - I had exactly the same 'interesting' experience as you landing at Heathrow once coming back from Belfast.
The woman behind me started praying extremely loudly which far from comforting me made me even worse amidst all the lightning flashes.
I had to be stoical though as I had my younger brother with me so I just sat there with a fixed grin on my face, even though I was absolutely terrified.
My brother loved it.
The woman behind me started praying extremely loudly which far from comforting me made me even worse amidst all the lightning flashes.
I had to be stoical though as I had my younger brother with me so I just sat there with a fixed grin on my face, even though I was absolutely terrified.
My brother loved it.
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Just one in close to 400 sectors and closing in on 900,000km (as SLF) flying CHC - SYD in 2005. We had already done a nice scenic flight up to somewhere over Kuringai Chase / Palm Beach and as we turned onto the runway heading everything cranked up and we did it all again. Captain called up and said that ATC had got us too close to the aircraft in front.
Only drama was having to run between aircraft to bus to get to domestic and then bus to gate to catch connection SYD-PER (no hold baggage so guessed they wouldn't have waited for me!)
In saying that I thought I was going to have a a second one today landing WLG ex AKL with a real strong Southerly blowing, seemed to float an awfully loooong way along the runway before touching down!! Those AirNZ guys up front are damn good!
Only drama was having to run between aircraft to bus to get to domestic and then bus to gate to catch connection SYD-PER (no hold baggage so guessed they wouldn't have waited for me!)
In saying that I thought I was going to have a a second one today landing WLG ex AKL with a real strong Southerly blowing, seemed to float an awfully loooong way along the runway before touching down!! Those AirNZ guys up front are damn good!
Last edited by SteveWA; 12th Oct 2010 at 08:23.
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One rejected take off and one go around. Both on the same sector! Edinburgh to Belfast City, Loganair, Shorts 360. It was in '90 or '91 cant remember when exactly as I was flying 4 sectors a month with them for those 2 years.
RTO due to Main Entry door warning light illuminating during take off run. Go around due to high winds in Belfast. From where I was sitting the left wing tip looked mighty close to the ground.....
RTO due to Main Entry door warning light illuminating during take off run. Go around due to high winds in Belfast. From where I was sitting the left wing tip looked mighty close to the ground.....
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Does anyone remember hearing about a 707 being reposessed by a skilled ferry pilot who wanted to find out could it do a roll? Answer, it could.
Here's the video of the 707 roll:
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He was a Boeing test pilot at the time. He was called in for tea and biccies by management and, when asked what he thought he was doing, he replied 'I was demonstrating the airplane for the clients.!.' It wasn't a repossessed aircraft. It was either the prototype, or an early production aircraft.
Concorde was also rolled twice on 1 flight. Firstly by the Captain, then the other way by the First Officer.
Concorde was also rolled twice on 1 flight. Firstly by the Captain, then the other way by the First Officer.
Paxing All Over The World
I was wasting time inside You Tube when I found a rather larger collection of GAs filmed from inside the cabin by pax or from outside by enthusiasts. For those that are anxious, I think the smooth nature of the events should be reassuring. Just search in YT for go around - but only if you have a LOT of time on hand! 
Join Date: May 2007
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Anyone who has flown often will have an abundance of stories to relate.
The point of this rigmarole is not to boast (it's not much to boast about) but to say that in all those flights, with some scary airlines, apart from one MEA Coronado landing at Beirut which continued into the long grass, gently, after a latish touchdown I have not experienced a single incident of any kind in any civil or military transport aircraft, GA, RTO, passenger run amuk, pilot ditto, fire, hijack, fight, severe turbulence, nothing. Not even a detectable inflight shut-down.
What a dull life it's been compared to some. But I quite like it that way.
When flying myself in my own or a hired aircraft (single, twin and glider) it's been a very different story, but that's self-inflicted.
Last edited by Capot; 29th Oct 2010 at 09:45.
