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Original poster

Missed landings and other flight stories

118 replies

cherrypiepie · 03/11/2021 19:49

I was on a flight at the weekend that touched for half a second down then took off again straight away, it was pretty scary, and very confusing, shocking.

Cue me gripping the armrests and a hushed silence and prayers of 'god will save us' from the back row. A few oxygen masks came down. It had been pretty rough but not horrendously turbulent and I it was very cloudy with very low cloud and torrential rain so bad you couldn't even see if it was rain. I was observing BA the aircraft on the grounds in a weird little pen when we touched down once (normal expect a couple of thunks) then immediately engines roared and we were soon climbing again. We circled for about 15 Minutes then the captain explained it was a gust of wind just as we touch down that made it unsafe. About 30 minutes later we landed safely.

A Google search tells me this is a go around or a misled landing and is normal not an emergency.

I can't get over how odd and weird this was!

Any other weird flight stories?

OP posts:
WeAreTheHeroes · 03/11/2021 19:55

Something similar happened to me on an internal flight about to land at Heathrow about 20 years ago. A vehicle was in the wrong place, i.e. on the runway, so the landing was aborted. We went back up again at a very steep angle and a lot of engine noise. It was quite scary. We landed normally a few minutes later.

Original poster
cherrypiepie · 03/11/2021 19:56

@WeAreTheHeroes did it feel really weird and confusing?

OP posts:
BlackLambAndGreyFalcon · 03/11/2021 20:00

I was on an internal flight in South Africa and I suddenly I heard a noise that sounded like the engines really straining. The captain came on the tannoy and said: "that sound you may have heard... that was our landing gear going down" - we were mid-flight at cruising altitude at this time! Apparently it was over heating or something so they had to lower it. The flight proceed as normal and we landed without issue, but it was a bit unnerving!

Thankfully that was the worst experience I've had - I would be absolutely crapping myself if we had a missed landing or anything else more serious!

Cheermonger · 03/11/2021 20:01

I flew out of Leeds with my mum and we were about 30 mins in. Then captain came on to say air traffic control at Leeds thought they’d seen something fall off the plane as it took off, they couldn’t be certain but they wanted us to return to base just in case it was something important. But they couldn’t land till they’d burned some fuel so we had to go round and round for an hour. Honestly everyone was petrified and as we went down to land I thought I was going to die with fear. But all was fine. Except then the crew were out of time etc etc so it took forever to actually get to Lanzarote

FAQs · 03/11/2021 20:04

We had that coming back from a flight from New York and it was scary, a couple of overhead lockers opened and luggage fell out, no explanation for probably only a few minutes however it felt much longer, very noisy and water also come from somewhere in the galley along the wall. I’d was say next a man from New Jersey and we hadn’t spoke the whole flight and suddenly we seem to talk and know everything about each other until we landed.

Also a very scary crosswind landing at Glasgow, last flight to land before the airport closed, very very bumpy and as we were sideways I was convinced we would crash. Everyone was dead silent apart from one man who was rocking and hitting the seat in fear I presume.

fedup65356 · 03/11/2021 20:05

Landing at JFK in the dark a few years ago, fully packed 747, we had nearly touched down then suddenly and sharply pulled back up and "went around" - the Captain came over the tannoy and said the runway had been closed Hmm quite scary especially flying so low around New York at night. Seemed like a near miss.

In around 2008, long after 9/11, the cockpit doors randomly opened during descent and landing on a Monarch flight into Gatwick. The crew didn't seem bothered and the passengers got a cockpit view of landing.

WeAreTheHeroes · 03/11/2021 20:06

[quote cherrypiepie]@WeAreTheHeroes did it feel really weird and confusing? [/quote]
Yes and it was completely down played by the captain as though it was totally normal!

Original poster
cherrypiepie · 03/11/2021 20:08

I'm now wondering whether briefly touching down or not touching down at all is worse?

OP posts:
fedup65356 · 03/11/2021 20:09

Again flying into Gatwick this time on a Thomson plane one evening, upon descent we hit unexpected sudden turbulence and the plane was bouncing side to side, up and down and round and round, as were most of the passengers. I was weightless for a while, it was surreal and scary, especially as the crew looked nervous and there was silence from the cockpit.

Hawkins001 · 03/11/2021 20:11

Reading with intrigue

ShirleyPhallus · 03/11/2021 20:13

A go around is a totally normal experience in a plane, it happens if the pilot isn’t satisfied that the conditions are perfect for landing

A friend of mine is a pilot and said that in his training, they literally do hours and hours of go-arounds and then regularly practice them

There is nothing weird or scary about it, it’s routine and pilots are well practiced for them Smile

TheVolturi · 03/11/2021 20:15

When I was about 24 weeks pregnant with my first we had a, short holiday to Spain. On the flight back it had been delayed for almost a whole day because of bad weather in the UK. Finally got the flight and all was fine until we got near home. There was a storm and really bad weather and suddenly it felt like the plane fell from the sky, everyone was really badly shook up. It was a really weird sensation. The pilot came on to reassure us but I was so thankful to land safely.

PersephoneJames · 03/11/2021 20:16

Once when flying with my newborn, as we were taking off the plane did an emergency stop, like in a car but much more dramatic because of the speed - the forward force on our bodies was really scary. The cabin crew had alarmed faces.

The captain cheerily explained he had heard a funny noise and thought he ought to check it out but they couldn’t find anything wrong and he had new headphones so it was probably that.

I’ve only just started flying again 7 years later and with xanax. Sad

Twospaniels · 03/11/2021 20:18

Not a flight, but a ferry.
When I was at school we went to france for a weekend trip. The weather coming back was horrendous and the ferry was dipping and plunging. Everyone around was throwing up, except me 😇
When we approached Dover, the captain said we were unable to enter the port and would have to stay in the channel, however, we did enter the port and all was ok, but afterwards we heard that the ferry missed crashing into the harbour walls by only a few feet, and ours was the last ferry they let in for the next 8 hours. So glad we didn’t have to sit in the channel for 8 hours!
Also, when we went below to get on the coach, we could see that several cars and vans had been thrown a bit and crashed into each other.

gelatodipistacchio · 03/11/2021 20:19

I'm sure that I have been on a go-around before, and been similarly frightened. I have a pretty clear memory of gripping my seat rests as we circled for ages.

321zyx · 03/11/2021 20:19

Experienced a last minute 'go around' at LHR. Pilot explained that the plane that had landed in front of us was not familiar with LHR and was too slow turning off the main runway. As I live under the final flight path I can understand how this could happen as at peak time (pre covid) we have a plane landing overhead every 90-120 seconds!

PivotPivotPivottt · 03/11/2021 20:24

I love threads like this! I am terrified of flying but obsessed with planes crashing and watch all the TV shows/read about them. I think I would die if I was on a plane that done a go around. Big Jet TV on Facebook and YouTube is a brilliant watch when it's a windy day. One day I watched they were at Heathrow and there was several go around and shaky landings where the planes were rocking side to side.

Marshy86 · 03/11/2021 20:26

We've had a few 🙈

  1. New York we were coming into to land and had to pull up and circle around as another plane was coming in at the same time.

  2. Manchester - the truck that pushes the plane out stalled whilst passengers were boarding - pilot flew out the cabin and ripped the ground crew a new one.

  3. my husband had a tyre blow out on one of his flights as a teen.

  4. when I worked at the airport we had the front of the plane drop while it was heading to runway- the front wheel gave way, an engine fire and pilots window blow out when coming in to land. We also had an attempted murder at arrivals when I worked there and I walked into. Crime scene with all the yellow tape Cordoning off the area.

Honestly you would think I wouldn't want to fly any more but we love to travel. We've also done some cruises where my parents got hit by a freak wave and everything when flying, had to turn around because they came across a life raft which turned out to be empty and we went through a higher category storm where the swimming pool water emptied out the pool and flooded the rest of the deck (not many made it to dinner that night 🤢) 🤣

ChicCroissant · 03/11/2021 20:26

I've boarded a plane, stowed the luggage and sat down only to wait a bit and then be told that there is an issue with the plane and that we'd all have to get off and wait for another one. The airline handed out water and snacks while we were waiting in the departure lounge. It was a bit boring hanging around for longer carrying the duty free bags of goodies but at least we were on our way home and it didn't delay the start of the holiday.

Ovasaurus · 03/11/2021 20:29

Flying out of the old Hong Kong airport years ago as a major typhoon was approaching. Taxied out to the runway and the whole plane was shaking and vibrating. Very laid back Australian pilot came over the tannoy and said sorry ladies and gents its a bit blowy tonight, just waiting for a gap in the gusts and we'll give it ago. Suddenly hit full throttle and took off bouncing around like mad. It was like a roller coaster. Pilot came on and said well now thats behind us, its clear air all the way to Sydney, sit back and relax.....yeah after the entire plane has changed their pants maybe. It was the last flight in or out for three days. I had a double scotch when the drinks trolley came around.

LeuvenMan · 03/11/2021 20:31

Flew back from Munich to Birmingham, took 23 hours.....
Plane 1 broken so couldn't board
Plane 2 took off, 30 mins in, turned round mid flight, back to Munich
Lufthansa put us all in a hotel that night (ironically by the Congress centre I'd spent the week working in
Flight 3 in the morning delayed by fog.
And they haggled on the compensation.....

gelatodipistacchio · 03/11/2021 20:32

Oh! And once I was in a flight that got hit by lightning. It felt like a big metallic thunk, then we were diverted to Rome and it took ages to get home.

RubyTuesday70 · 03/11/2021 20:36

We were landing at Heathrow on a night flight back from JFK........ it was first light and we'd had quite a bumpy flight back so I was already feeling a bit anxious. We came down, touched the runway and then went straight back up again at a really steep angle and it took ages for the captain to make an announcement. Apparently the plane that landed before us had a technical issue and hadn't cleared the runway. Due to this, it was then another 45 minutes before we landed.

It was such an awful experience that I've not flown again since Blush but the cabin crew didn't seem remotely bothered........ I'd imagine it happens quite a lot.

Crunchymum · 03/11/2021 20:37

DP was on a flight back from UAE escorted into Stansted by fighter jets due to suspected terrorist on the plane (it was actually some drunk fucker who falsely accused the poor guy next to him of making terrorist threats.... the accuser was actually charged and sentenced himself I believe)

My DP said it was more of a ballache than anything as they all had to sit on the plane at Stansted for 5 hours before having to the fly to Heathrow (original destination but Stansted is the airport that is used for such incidents)

DP said it was incredibly frustrating to be on London and not allowed to disembark.

LadyCampanulaTottington · 03/11/2021 20:39

I used to travel 3 weeks out of 4 for work. I’ve had a few touch and go flights. It’s normal procedure if the pilot isn’t happy with the conditions.

I used to fly to Milan a lot and it can get quite foggy. Once we were in a holding pattern for an hour but because we couldn’t see the ground we didn’t know that we were actually landing. So when we touched down lots of people screamed with the fright. You could barely see the ground as the fog was so thick.