www.CostaRicaTicas.com

came in tues the 28th on taca 605 around 915am and we were wheels down looking at that last patch of area before landing when the pilot suddenly went full throttle and took off again. it seemed like almost a straight up launch back into the sky. we climbed in circles elevating pretty high with the pilot tilting the plane back and forth.
i´m sure it probably not all that uncommon of an event and the guys involved in aviation will likely say as much. but that cabin was totally silent for that 15 minutes with people just looking straight ahead as the pilot said nothing.
when we landed the looks on peoples faces and the sweat rolling off of them said it all. i asked a crewman walking toward customs if he was on the flight and he said no he had been in the plane behind and said the pilot just missed the runway and chuckled.

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im way deep into nothing special
riding the crest of a wave breaking just west of hollywood

Mr Srilm is the expert from the other side. I fly a lot, typically spending between $50 - $85,000 a year on airline tickets, mostly with Continental (sorry.....I was platinum with Delta but they just pissed me off too many times). I've been in that situation many times, probably once every year or year & a half. So the frequency Mr Srilm cites (a little less than one percent) adds up from my experience as well. Most every time it's another airplane on the runway. At the end of the day, no big deal. I would guess in areas of chronic poor weather (like up in yankee land in the winter) the rate would be double or triple - still not often.

/dddick

yes i am grateful he knew what he was doing in the end. i never felt unsafe just uncertain. can you tell me what the tilting back and forth of the wings was about. at first i thought our landing gear had not deployed and he was dumping fuel but that makes no sense since we were completing the flight.
have always felt tacas pilots are well trained professionals. a little surprised they didnt announce what was happening as there were a lot of very nervous folks.

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im way deep into nothing special
riding the crest of a wave breaking just west of hollywood

I think a discussion of air turbulence and members' experiences may be of interest on this Board as well as any member who may be knowledgeble on this issue.

Srilm, I think I can speak for all of us here, I really appreciate your knowledgeable reports. I really enjoy learning new stuff. Thanks for clarifying all of this. This is really in the spirit of the CRT purpose, to provide great information without personal rants.

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" Omit no happy hour that may give furtherance to our expedition."

Thank Srilm for the quick response and detailed info. In the immortal words of Ralph Cramden as far as air turbulence goes" Homina Homina"

This happened on our flight to SJ in May. The pilot came on and said there were strong tail winds so we had to abort his/her approach. We were only a few hundred feet from touch down. Wheels were let up flaps returned to flyng position. Once that happened we had to fly and hold a circle pattern waiting for a spot in the order to appraoch again and wnd to change. We cirlcled 3 times before landing. People had a look on there faces like! Oh Shit we gonna die! The plane was silent until landing when a few applause were heard. This also happened to be the first flight that I can remember where I distinctly heard a female pilot or copilot in the cockpit during the flight!

fitty

SJO is a fairly small airport for international arrivals and departures, with a short runway, one way in one way out... The drop-off at the west end of the field also causes turbulence / wind sheer just off the end of the runway, where it reeks havoc with an airplane on approach when it is flying just above stall speed... All of this is contributory to having to make a perfect approach and "hitting the numbers" on landing... The pilot on this flight obviously felt that if he continued the landing, he would be long on roll-out and wouldn't be able to stop before running off the runway... Classic missed approach scenario... As a pilot, you are taught to follow your instincts these situations and to execute a missed approach procedure, which entails going full throttle and climbing out on a pre-determined heading as defined by the missed approach procedure, then notify controllers... Every runway at every controlled airport has a defined missed approach procedure when flying IFR... You then fly a holding pattern until cleared for the landing again or until such time that you clean out your underwear...

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"Mongo only pawn in game of life"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3K6UmgJIOw

This why I joined CRT almost 7 years ago!

fiddie

Sure you've seen this one before, but it serves the purpose...

This yahoo used poor judgment and should have gone-around when he didn't get it on the ground in the 1st 1/3rd of the runway...

http://vimeo.com/4875559

I used to fly commercially for a living in another lifetime... Decided I couldn't take the lifestyle and changed careers...

_________________
"Mongo only pawn in game of life"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3K6UmgJIOw

How do they not have more accidents in Honduras Airport? Its short and in a valley of cratered mountains. Like a bowl! I was afeared! very afeared when landing and taking off there. So short the runway that tractors taxi you out to and from the runway! 2011! WTF! Should have let Zelaya have the US air base before the "golpe de estado"!

fiddie

My question would be, how do you know if it was a go around or missed approach? Or did I miss that in the thread sorry if so.. we were arriving into SFO and we were no more than 100 feet to the ground on a 777 and we did a GO AROUND many heart in your throat at that point.... Also on a 737 into Charlotte we did a go around never did know on either one if or what was the cause only its not a pleasant feeling doing the flaps power Up program.. trust me.

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"Success isn't having $$ it is knowing how to Spend It"

I am not aviation savvy but I assumed due to the short space in which to turn and manuever the big jets 727s in Honduras they use the tractor (1) to taxi in and out?

Guatemala was very nice airport with many armed soldiers present. Aslo there was constant activity military present. Military helos landing and taking off!

Fiddie

I have had the fly around Twice at SJO... both at night...

first time we landed in Managa... crew expired and had to spend the night

Second time ... I said here we come Nica land two circles and all was good, but got to San Jose and it was a black out... still had fun

I never take a flight with a night landing in SJO any more... also try and avoid a Nature Air or Sansa after noon flights ... try flying with a hangover in total clouds till you hit Paves

For those in the know, over a year ago I read that SJO had upgraded the landing lights. I presumed that was the factor in so many night diversions to either Managua or Panama City. I haven't heard of any since.

Another story: we were on our approach to SJO when the pilot came on a announced that due to federal regulations he could not land with a person in the restrooms. Time passed and with the runway in view we suddenly verred left and did a 1/2 circle a low altitude and came in on the other side.

Assumed the passenger was in the RR, but we weren't informed. It's the lowest I've ever flown over the Valley except for a minute or two of landing.