Go-arounds: why pilots sometimes abort a landing (and why that's good)
The sudden engine roar near the ground is a normal, practiced maneuver — a safety choice, not an emergency.
In this article · 3 sections
What it feels like
You're on final approach, the ground is getting closer — and then the engines roar, the nose pitches up and the airplane climbs away. A few minutes later, the pilot announces you're coming around for another approach.
What's actually happening
A go-around (also called a missed approach or rejected landing) means the pilots have decided the conditions for landing aren't just right, so they climb away and try again. The FAA's training guidance treats it as a normal maneuver: apply power, set a safe climb attitude, and clean up the flaps and gear in a set order.1 Pilots practise it regularly in simulators.
Common reasons include:
- Another aircraft hasn't cleared the runway yet.
- A gust or wind shift has made the approach less stable than the pilots want.
- The airplane is a little too high, too fast or not lined up perfectly.
- Air traffic control asks for it to keep spacing.
- Visibility at the runway isn't good enough at the decision point.
Why it's a good sign
Airlines set strict "stabilized approach" criteria — the right speed, path and configuration by a certain height. If they aren't met, the safe choice is to go around. Aviation safety groups have long encouraged pilots to go around more often, not less: research by the Flight Safety Foundation found that only a small share of unstable approaches end in a go-around, and it has worked to raise that number.2, 3
Bottom line: a go-around is the system working exactly as designed. It adds a few minutes to your trip — and a lot of margin.