Missed approach experiences

[Peter Kesternich]

Hey everybody,
I am curious as to what kind of missed approach experiences people on this forum had. Would be nice if you all would share them here with us

Here are my two experiences so far (in 408 flights - as of 30 March 2011):

My first missed approach occurred in 1986. I was travelling in Zimbabwe and was enroute from Victoria Falls to Kariba with an intermediate stop in Hwange (formerly Wankie). Hwange Airfield serves Zimbabwe's largest national park and there is a lot of wildlife in the area. We were travelling on an Air Zimbabwe Vickers Viscount and on final approach to Hwange, the crew applied power to go around. A few moments later the captain told us that a few warthogs had strolled onto the runway and that airport services were chasing them away. We landed without incident from the second approach with the warthogs looking on from a safe distance.

On my second missed approach - on 20 May 2007 - I was sitting in a KLM Cityhopper Fokker 50 on approach to Cologne/Bonn's runway 32R. Only a few seconds from touch down, we were already over the runway, the captain poured on the coals and went around. Almost immediately, she (don't snicker... *lol...) told us that the wind had changed on us and so she decided to take us around for another try. We were vectored around for an uneventful landing on runway 14L.

[guamainiac]

I dragged the field and it was clear. The sun was setting and it was blinding but there was some shape on the runway. The owner of the airport was hauling dirt to smooth the parking areas (sod) and did not want the heavy dumper on the grass so he parked mid-field and was using a wheel barrow to fill the low spots.

There was also a grass strip so the problem was only momentary but two things hit me. He was an idiot, a worker I can understand but an airport owner to leave a truck blocking the active while he puttered. Only the other kind of idiot would continue an approach under limited visual conditions. There was (foolishly), about 95% of me that was fighting to land; lucky the other 5% lucked out reacting only to a vague shape that was not there moments ago.

Smart money would have gone elsewhere and called for a ride and not paid for transit or ferry time from an alternate.

No hogs just fools.

[Gabriel]

As a pilot, a lot, most of them my fault (too high, too long, too fast, not managing well a crosswind, all of them at once, etc...).

Two that I remember not my fault:

Me: Torcuato Tower, MRG going around, there's a dog on the runway.
Tower: Roger MRG, er..., throw him a bone.

Me: Torcuato Tower, MRG turning to base.
Tower: MRG, contact turning to final.
EA: (EA means Ejército Argentino, Argentinian Army, it was a Casa twin turboprop): Tower, EA ready for take-off.
Tower: EA, are you ready for in immediate take off?
EA: EA ready.
Tower: EA, position and immediate take-off.
EA: Position and immediate take-off EA.
Me: MRG turning to final.
Tower: EA, take off.
Me: MRG on final.
Tower: I see you MRG, EA take off!
EA: Taking off EA (but he doesn't).
Tower: So EA? Take off!!!
Me: MRG on short final, if he doesn't take-off right now I' going around.
Tower: EA take off NOW!
Me: Forget it tower, MRG going around.
Tower: Roger MRG. Contact on downwind.
EA: EA taking off now (and starts to roll)
Me. Tower, now hold that SOB, I'm overflying the runway and a Tomahawk doesn't climb as like Casa.
Tower: EA hold your take-off!

As a passenger in an airline: Only once: 1992. PLUNA B-707, Monetevideo - Ezeiza. We went around over the numbers. The captain said that a plane on the runway had not cleared it in time. The maneuver was very gentle and smooth.

[guamainiac]

Sweet, was hearing the tower. My bud was flying a Cardinal, and called base to final just as a dead silent Bonanza did a straight in.

Mercer Tower ... "The pilot of the Bonanza will report to the tower NOW, taxi to the front area and shut down!"

sorry a little OT but the approach was missed (we continued straight)

[alasta]

On a Virgin Blue flight from Auckland to Wellington on a 737-800 full power was applied just as we crossed the threshold, a few feet above the ground. The captain informed us that the crosswind had exceeded limits just as we were about to touch down. We landed successfully on the second attempt.

To be honest the approach had seemed very smooth to me, but WLG tends to be very unforgiving as far as the weather is concerned.

[ultraflight]

Go around Madrid

In 2006 I experienced my only missed approach, on a Transavia 737-700 from Amsterdam to Madrid. High summer, late evening, thunderstorms (in summer the air around MAD is very turbulent). I was sitting Window, looking out over the left wing and during final approach I saw we got hit by lightning on the wing tip. We continued, but after we passed the fences, I could see runway, then sky, then runway. I said "go around!" They must have heard me, because immediately the engines roared and we were climbing. Captain giving reassuring explanation after we had gained some altitude. One more "vuelta" and we landed relatively quietly on the same runway. My hands were a bit sweaty.