Cause/Reasons for 'go-around' and aborted takeoff

Aborted landings: a bajillion reasons over the years. Most interesting was an attempt to abort that didn't work anyway, because we were in a microburst and whacked the runway at 1000 FPM down at full throttle. The go around started at 500' AGL. That was not a particularly fun one. CFIs kid was in a baby seat in the back seat. That kid is a CFI himself now.

Aborted takeoffs: Most interesting one was when the flaps stuck at 40 during a night touch and go. Almost aborted in Santa Fe, NM when a coyote decided to race us down the runway. Took a few seconds too long to decide because, not kidding, I was laughing to myself that we were the road runner. Heh.


Aborted flights/land early: Weather. Lots of times. Only one scared me. Pushed it too far. An hour later it was severe clear as forecast and expected. "Nearest airport" button on the GPS after a 180, was the order of that particular day.
 
One time I had a guy walking his dog on the runway. He was a pilot, too, had a Mooney hangared at our airport. He didn't hear me until I pushed in the throttle to go around. I was perfectly set up too, but the go around was a no brainer, and I came around again, landed, and we had a laugh about it. You should have seen the look on his face when he realized I was right behind him. I initially thought it was a deer, but as I got closer......
 
First solo had a Cessna pull out onto the runway while I was on short final. At work most of the time it is because our reference ground speed is out of limits(usually a tailwind) so we go around and pimp the tower that it's time to switch runways. Only happened a handful of times.
 
Landing:


  • Practice
  • Wind shear/gusty winds (or any other reason) that get me a bit too unstabilized for my liking at any airport.
  • Taildragger whose engine quit just before crossing the threshold exiting the rwy at KAPA
  • Runway incursion by oblivious pilot as I'm on very short final at KIWS
  • Spacing problems (like being nearly over the numbers as the guy in front is touching down at KAPA)
  • Spacing problems from behind. I'll go around rather than land and make a jet go around - this is very rare but it has happened and I offered it.
  • Coyotes on the rwy at KAPA
  • I've never had to execute a missed approach under IFR due to minimums but I have in practice.
Takeoff Roll:


  • Engine hiccups after reaching full TO power - exceedingly rare- I think this happened maybe once
  • Birds in theory but I can't recall having aborted TO for birds
  • I've really seldom had to abort a takeoff once I have done all my checks and finally get to full power.
Before reaching the runway:


  • Lots of stuff. Fouled plugs found during runup, some instrument not working right, kids whining ("I will turn this plane around, mister!), other stuff.
 
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Anthony said:
One time I had a guy walking his dog on the runway. He was a pilot, too, had a Mooney hangared at our airport. He didn't hear me until I pushed in the throttle to go around. I was perfectly set up too, but the go around was a no brainer, and I came around again, landed, and we had a laugh about it. You should have seen the look on his face when he realized I was right behind him. I initially thought it was a deer, but as I got closer......
Click to expand...
Lol why the runway?
 
My funniest GA was due to a coyote on the runway. Perfectly on the centerline too. I just touched down and had enough speed to shove the throttle fwd, pull back on the yoke and yank the flap handle up (Cherokee) to "jump" over the surprised creature.

Other GAs were for other aircraft appearing on short final, me getting caught by surprise by a crosswind gust and being blown off rwy heading just before flare ... etc.

RTO due to insufficient power, airplane appearing from downwind and landing on the rwy, door popped open etc.

You can say: "the usual stuff". :)
 
Hmmm... I think you all wrote the aviation "Cliff's Notes" on aborted landings and takeoffs; a lifetime of it. I'll plagarize and write the book, get all the credit - and give you nada. :]

Really interesting - thanks for taking the time to write about it. Funny, serious, or unexpected, there's a little of everything.

So a pilot must always be ready for anything at any time and be surprised only when things go right. Ha!

But I admit to a problem maybe bigger than the cause of a go around: when not all is right and I know I should abort a landing, I challenge myself that I "have got to salvage the landing, and land". It's like "yeah, I screwed up the approach, but I can recover and land". Or "I have just enough time and distance" to make it, or whatever.

So I push myself to recover - as if going around was not an option. Sounds stupid, but not always totally so. I guess there are times when working hard to recover, one actually learns thibgs. I suppose the trick is to know when the risk ain't worth it, play nice and go around :}
 
Go arounds:
practice
deer
gusty winds not enough rudder/aileron control
plane pulled out on runway
plane didn't clear runway at controlled airport
airplane/basketball, :rolleyes: second bounce, outta there for another try.

Aborted takeoffs:
2 large dogs (strolled) crossed runway at MQI
open door(s)
 
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On night approach to home airport, mid 1960's, December 23, near midnight, really black outside, blowing snow, 1956 Skylane ten seconds from touchdown and the colored runway/taxiway lights are looking a lot like christmas
I'm humming to myself
Two snowmobiles come shooting out through the tree line on the left, turn and go roaring down the runway right in front of me
First I'm startled then I'm pizzed
Prop control to low pitch
Add enough power to stop the descent and stabilize at 7 or 8 feet high
As I catch the snowmobiles from behind full power
Those who know that model of Lane know it had the long two blade prop and at redline rpm the prop tips were supersonic making an unholy racket
As I pull up and begin a shallow left turn I see one snowmobile went over the snowbank and is upside down. The other sled turned right and is hauling butt for parts unknown
I make a leisurely circuit back around
As I roll out past the scene of the accident there is no sign of the guy on the overturned sled he must have run into the woods
humming 'it's beginning to look a lot like christmas tum de tum tum tum"
 
Recent exchange with ATC: (It was the only plane in the pattern)
"Pompous Tower, Redhot 123SH, I'd like to make a high speed pass down the runway"
"Redhot 123SH, Pompous Tower. Request denied. You are cleared to land on runway 1."
"Pompous Tower, Redhot 123SH, cleared to land on runway 1."
Wait for it.
Wait for it
Wait for it.
"Pompous tower, Redhot 123SH. Missed approach, going around."

It seems they were going too fast and had forgotten to put the wheels down.

Shucks.
 
Go-arounds: the usual stuff like less than smooth taildragger landings, critters on the runway (coyotes, even a horse once at my home field... no-one knows whose horse it was... just showed up one morning and wandered around awhile then galloped off)

Aborted takeoff: Haven't had one of those in a long time, but the last one was trying to takeoff from a short grass strip in my old Cherokee 140 and the engine was making full power but I couldn't get satisfactory airspeed by the halfway mark so I pulled the power, stopped and taxi back to the parking area to investigate things. While checking the tire pressure, which was a bit low, I also noticed the brakes were unusually warm. Turned out the handbrake master cylinder was sticking and not returning to zero by spring pressure alone and was holding the brakes partially applied. I put some more air pressure in the main tires, jiggled the handbrake lever to get it to fully release, and then was able to takeoff normally.
 
Go around;

Deer on the runway(Sedona)
Coyotes on the runway(Deer Valley,KDVT)
Plane landing in front of me didn't clear the runway

Aborted takeoff;

Gusty winds.
Strong smell of exhaust in the plane.
50 feet above the runway loss of power.
The tower telling me to abort just as I was ready to rotate, I had know idea what the heck happened so I stomped on the brakes and stopped as quick as possible, only to find out they were switching runways due to the wind direction...
 
Deer / small animals on the runway at night.

Both take-off and landing.
 
Go around.
-Idiot pulling onto active runway at controlled field
-Livestock on runway
-Strong gusts
-Carrying too much speed over the fence

Aborted takeoff
- passenger losting his "cookies"
 
iWantWings said:
Hmmm... I think you all wrote the aviation "Cliff's Notes" on aborted landings and takeoffs; a lifetime of it. I'll plagarize and write the book, get all the credit - and give you nada. :]

Really interesting - thanks for taking the time to write about it. Funny, serious, or unexpected, there's a little of everything.

So a pilot must always be ready for anything at any time and be surprised only when things go right. Ha!

But I admit to a problem maybe bigger than the cause of a go around: when not all is right and I know I should abort a landing, I challenge myself that I "have got to salvage the landing, and land". It's like "yeah, I screwed up the approach, but I can recover and land". Or "I have just enough time and distance" to make it, or whatever.

So I push myself to recover - as if going around was not an option. Sounds stupid, but not always totally so. I guess there are times when working hard to recover, one actually learns thibgs. I suppose the trick is to know when the risk ain't worth it, play nice and go around :}
Click to expand...


The situations in life where you "have to salvage a landing" will be few if at all. Basically you are minus at least one engine for it to happen, and those are rare.
 
I forgot to add that after my coyote-induced go-around which happened during my basic training, my CFI made good use of it and occasionally exclaimed "coyote" about 10ft over the numbers .... to which I correctly replied "going around" while adding full power, right rudder, establishing a climb and slowly shedding the flaps. Made us grin every time.
I loved my training. Good times!!!
 
I did a go around yesterday at South Lake Tahoe (KTVL). I was cleared to land on 36 while in a mid field right downwind. As I turned base, a Gulfstream was cleared to takeoff on 36 and the temporary tower (golf tournament) added that a Dakota (me) was on base. I watched the Gulfstream pull onto the runway and sit there. I turned final and slowed it down as much as possible with full flaps. At about 1/2 mile he still hadn't moved an inch so I shifted to the right and went around, turning a right 360 roughly abreast the numbers to go back and try again.

Mr. Jet jockey finally found the throttle and managed to depart.
 
DesertNomad said:
I did a go around yesterday at South Lake Tahoe (KTVL). I was cleared to land on 36 while in a mid field right downwind. As I turned base, a Gulfstream was cleared to takeoff on 36 and the temporary tower (golf tournament) added that a Dakota (me) was on base. I watched the Gulfstream pull onto the runway and sit there. I turned final and slowed it down as much as possible with full flaps. At about 1/2 mile he still hadn't moved an inch so I shifted to the right and went around, turning a right 360 roughly abreast the numbers to go back and try again.

Mr. Jet jockey finally found the throttle and managed to depart.
Click to expand...

How great was the temptation to overfly the jet and land in front. :stirpot:

Then, make a slow turnaround and taxi back, nose to nose. :mad3:
 
Aborted Takeoff:

Opened the throttle smoothly, everything in the green, suddenly hear a loud PING and a CLUNK, pulled the power back and taxied off the runway to the hangar.

A little pin holding the left window latch in place on the 182 had worked its way out and the latch fell onto the floor.

I can tell you that a wire coathangar is the exact same diameter as that pin...
 
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docmirror said:
How great was the temptation to overfly the jet and land in front. :stirpot:

Then, make a slow turnaround and taxi back, nose to nose. :mad3:
Click to expand...

Hahaha. I just couldn't believe he was just sitting there. As I flew by, I went upwind far enough that he could see me. I kinda expected a brief "whoops, sorry about that", but nothing. I would guess he at lined up for about a minute before finding the means to go forward. If I had had to go around again I would have said something to him I think.

There is a 2000' displaced threshold there so I could have landed beyond him no problem... until the nice man from the FAA called me up. ;)
 
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