Go Arounds
 

Yesterday I was on an easyJet flight from Nice which landed at Luton Airport, weather was good although we did appear to be coming in a bit fast. Appeared to be making a normal landing and I originally thought that we had made the softest landing ever as we seemed to be going along the runway but felt no impact. Then thud! We hit hard but immediately the engines throttled up and off we went again. Flight attendants looked a bit alarmed and some people around me were panicking and a few crying. I was a bit perturbed myself!! The Capt then came on to say that there were birds on the runway???!!!

If a flight crew makes this decision - especially after touchdown - are ATC aware and do they have to report this?

Just interested as it was a bit scary!:\

<<If a flight crew makes this decision - especially after touchdown - are ATC aware and do they have to report this?>>

ATC will become aware for two reasons. A) they will be watching the aircraft out of the window and b) the pilot would advise them by radio of what was happening. ATC would then issue appropriate instructions for another approach.

The decision may have been made before touuchdown - in a "late" go-around you may still touch the runway.

Seems odd that no explanation would have been offered to reassure people, even later taxi-ing in when things are quieter up front.

Apparently it was indeed birds.

See link below (I make no claim for it's validity)

Birds delay Luton Airport flights : Luton Airport News Stories

:ugh:
I would doubt a GA would be called around touchdown for birds - the hazards of flying through them outweigh to me any possible hazard of encoutering them on the rollout. That said, an extended float is a good reason to GA for, and birds are easy to blame :ok:

Most types you can call and execute a GA up to selection of Reverse. Any GA is high worload for the crew and ATC. Whilst a PA is a bonus, it takes 1 pilot out of the loop, and therefore will be somewhat delayed. I doubt there is much we can do for the sort of pax that choose to burst into tears, but I reckon I do 1 or 2 GAs a year? Hardly rare...

NoD

go arounds
 

Sorry to be untechy Nigel but what is an extended float?

A "float" is when the aircraft is flared for landing, but either due to excess airspeed, too great a nose-up input, or a wind gust (effectively a positive shear) the aircraft floats above the runway instead of touching down.
This can eat up runway at a prodigious rate.

An overzealous attempt to impress the SLF that, in extemis, ends in the grass off the end :D (see above post for better explanation)

NoD

Go arounds
 

Thanks both for the explanation. That certainly seemed to my untrained eye what happened, as we did appear to float along the runway for some time. As I said in my original post I even had the time to say to my husband that it was the softest landing I had ever had!

I appreciate that we all make mistakes and that these things happen but I for one would prefer a genuine explanation. That would be far more reassuring than some half arsed excuse.

I doubt that a "Sorry folks, we made a mistake, came in too fast and almost run out of runway, but we will be trying again shortly" would be more reassuring.;)

And again, if he would have used the "extended float" explanation you would not have understood.

And again, the birds excuse might even have been true.

Well did the cabin crew not make a PA to reassure passengers? I work for the said airline and its a standard operating procedure that if we have a go around then we make a PA informing passengers that it is a completely normal procedure and that the captain will give more details soon.

go around in Moscow
 

Several years ago I was flying into Moscow Domodedovo with a British airline. Because of fog the runway had very limited visibility. As we were just above the runway, at the point where there is that sinking feeling as the wheels feel for tarmac, full power was applied to the engines and the aircraft went around. The flight deck apologised and advised that Moscow had asked for a go around. As we approached the runway for a second time the fog had disappeared. How smart I thought for the Moscow controllers to appreciate that the fog would clear so quickly and so enable a safer landing.

A couple of years later I mentioned it to my late father, a retired military jet pilot.

One can disperse fog quite effectively with the engines on full power just above the runway, he replied with a smile.

Go arounds
 

As we were coming in for the second approach after the go around the Capt made a brief announcement that he had made the decision to go around as there were birds and that in the light of that mornings incident with the Monarch plane it was the best thing to do. After landing nothing else was said.

But did the cabin crew not make an initial PA after the go-around?? I wouldn't have mentioned it in my after landing PA to be honest as although unnerving its a completely normal procedure!

I got one of those announcements going into Gatters with EZY on a dark winter eveing when the one ahead was apprently slow on the roll so we were sent around. Now I see missed approaches quite often when I'm out at Gatwick so I know they're pretty common so am not worried at all when the power comes back on. Indeed it's a little thrill for me. However at this point the Head Cabin Crew comes on the PA and says all the right words as per the script but the tone suggested she had made her peace with God and was busy rattling out some rosaries. I was fine until the PA was made when for a moment I wondered if I really ought to be worried!!

We were turning final again after a brief jolly round the South Coast when we got the explanation from the flight deck. Do British pilots train to at least sound so unflappable? It's a gift....

If you type 'Monarch go around Luton' into You Tube there is a good video of a similar landing. The aircraft floats just above the ground before touching down and then powering away again.

<<Do British pilots train to at least sound so unflappable? It's a gift.... >>

But a go-around isn't something to get flappable about.

Go arounds
 

Thank you all for your comments and explanations. I do understand the situation much better now and realise that it was a common procedure.

Just a final word, it would be great if flight crew could appreciate that what is a common, no big deal, procedure for them may not be for their pax and that to take a minute or two afterwards to explain this would be reassuring and courteous.

I'm well aware of that. 99% of people aren't, hence my point about the Cabin Crew not getting that point over well and my appreciation of the Flight Deck hitting it on the sweet spot to calm things and briefly explain. It wasn't what was said, it was how it was done that impressed me.

It's not smart from your customers point of view to execute and a go around and not explain why. From most people, this is an unconventional and to some scary event regardless of what some of us know. Hence it's pretty important that they be reassured, kept in the loop and I will use the "m" word, managed.

Be careful making those kinds of allegations. You don't know that. Even if you are a professional pilot type-rated on the Airbus A320, you really can't make those judgements sitting in the cabin. There are strict SOPs governing speed limits and I'm sure your captain was obeying them.

I think most, if not all captains know that. That's why they will give a PA to explain why they went around when they have time, which is not immediately after the go-around!

Interesting. I have only seen one 'go around' (Edinburgh) - but what I wanted to ask, is - if the aircraft is 'flapped' to land (IE landing flaps) - does this increase drag and require more power to 'take off' again than using 'takeoff' flap settings? In a go around are flaps left where they are, or are they moved to takoff setting?

On the subject, is it acceptable to move flaps as an aircraft is rolling toward a takeoff?

- small correction, JR, flap setting is reduced in a g/a, but to what is type specific eg for a 737 from 30/40 to 15 which is not a 'normal' take-off setting.

Sounds like the pilot did the right thing to me, executed a go around and then explained why over the PA. I'd rather they concentrate on flying the aircraft than spend an extended period waffling about the whys and wherefores.

Thanks for that ;)

I see a comment about 'late' decision to go around: in the instance I saw (a twin prop ATR or similat aircraft) was visible as I happened to be sitting on a hill and could see over to the airport: the plane was flying 'normally' as if to land, then immediately 'lifted off' (too far to see if the wheels touched but it was close to the runway) - anyway is there a hard rule about 'when' the aircraft should 'pull up' - I must admit I just assumed (except in emergencies) all go arounds invilved getting fairly close to the runway and this mean a fairly 'normal' climb out to help with orientation! (Just my personal idea not based on any type of research or knowledge!)