Go-Arounds Explained

The Short Version

Sometimes, just before landing, the engines suddenly get louder and the plane starts climbing again. This is called a go-around. It feels dramatic, but it's one of the most ordinary manoeuvres in flying. The pilots have simply decided this approach isn't quite perfect, so they'll fly around and try again.

A go-around is not a sign that something has gone wrong. It's a sign that the system is working exactly as designed.

Why Pilots Go Around

Airlines set strict standards for every landing. By a set height, the plane must be on the right path, at the right speed and fully set up for landing. That height is usually 1,000 feet above the runway in cloud, or 500 feet in clear weather. If anything isn't just right, the rule is simple: go around and set up again.

Common reasons include:

• The runway isn't clear yet — for example, the plane ahead hasn't quite left it.
• Air traffic control asks for it — often to keep comfortable spacing between aircraft.
• The wind changes — a gust or shift in wind direction makes the approach less tidy than the pilots want.
• The approach isn't perfectly stable — a little too fast, too high or not perfectly lined up.
• The runway isn't visible yet — in low cloud or fog, the crew go around if they can't see the runway lights in time.

In each case, the pilots are choosing the more careful option. Landing from a less-than-perfect approach would usually still be fine, but airline standards don't settle for "usually fine".

What You'll Hear and Feel

1. A loud surge of engine power — the pilots set climb thrust. This is the same power you heard on takeoff.
2. The nose lifts and you're pressed into your seat — the plane climbs away, just as it does after takeoff.
3. A clunk and whirring — the landing gear comes up and the flaps are partly retracted, exactly as after a normal takeoff.
4. A gentle turn and a calm few minutes — the plane follows a set route, climbs to a safe height and lines up again.
5. An announcement — once things are settled, the pilots usually explain what happened. They may not speak straight away, because during a go-around their first job is flying the aircraft, not talking to the cabin.

The whole thing is practised regularly in the simulator, and every approach is flown with a go-around already planned in case it's needed.

How Common Are Go-Arounds?

Go-arounds happen on roughly 1 to 3 of every 1,000 approaches. That means many frequent flyers have never experienced one, while pilots carry them out routinely throughout their careers. The next approach usually ends in a perfectly normal landing a short while later.

If It Happens on Your Flight

• Remind yourself: this is the careful choice. The crew are giving themselves a better approach.
• Breathe out slowly as the engines get louder — the noise is the plane climbing, which is exactly what it's meant to do.
• Notice the cabin crew. They'll be calm, because to them this is routine.
• Expect a short announcement and a normal landing soon after.

Sources

• Flight Safety Foundation, Go-Around Decision-Making and Execution Project (Blajev & Curtis, 2017) — go-arounds occur on about 1–3 of every 1,000 approaches: https://www.flightsafety.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Go-around-study_final.pdf
• SKYbrary, Stabilised Approach — 1,000 ft / 500 ft stabilisation heights and the go-around requirement: https://skybrary.aero/articles/stabilised-approach