Is it common for airline pilots to miss the airport and have to make a U-turn to land?

StarShine

He didn't 'miss' the runway. He was landing in a specific direction due to wind or the available runway at the airport.

JetDoc

The pilot didn't "miss the airport", Skippy. He was flying a standard approach pattern that brings the aircraft in on the downwind leg, flies parallel to the runway with the wind to your back, then turns 90 degrees to "base" and another 90 degrees to land into the wind. MOST small airplanes use this sort of approach pattern to land at general aviation airports.

Sky

No. What you experienced was most likely the airplane approaching the airport with a tail wind and then making a turn for a final approach with a headwind, which is proper procedure for all aircraft.

Rebecca

He may have had to land from the opposite direction the plane was traveling due to the direction of the wind.

bobby

Yes, depending on wind direction in order to land or any other reason given to the pilot by the airport's control tower.

Ar

Major airports have more than just one runways. Probably the aircraft was assigned a different runway.

The Guru Within

It's probably because of wind direction. They need to land facing the wind.

rob

It was probably a “procedure turn” which would be part of the approach procedure on an instrument approach chart. Procedure turns are used when approaching a runway from the opposite direction as the approach that was planned or designated by ATC for this flight. Think of it as a U-turn in a car, but not because anyone made a mistake, it’s just a turn that’s part of flying to that runway that is published on the chart. For example , if you are supposed to lane on runway 6, which is on a 60 degree heading, but your are approaching the airport on a heading of 240 degrees, you are going to have to fly over the airport, turn around and land.

just "JR"

There are hundred of reasons NOT to land "directly": ATC command, wind, change of runway, holding patterns, congestion, emergencies, crosswind, emergencies, bad weather, fog, windsheer, birds on the runway (:-)) and more! Pilots, rarely, "miss" the airfields. But if conditions are not "right", it is better to wait, go-around or divert.

Mercury

He may have had to overshot because the runaway was not clear.

oikoσ

I suspect that it happens reasonably often. Pilots land going into the wind to get the extra lift. If they approach the airport with a tailwind, they would have to make a U-turn.

curtisports2

No one 'missed' anything. You enter the landing runway from one direction. If you are approaching that airport from any other direction, you have to circle around to land from that one direction.

USAFisnumber1

Airports have a landing pattern. If they have an east west runway and the wind is coming from the west they will want you to land and take off into the wind, into the west. So if you are coming from the west they will circle around in the pattern and land from the east. If you get the app FLIGHT AWARE and put it on an airport and map it, you will see the pattern around the airport.

Rona Lachat

YES IT HAPPENS that a human makes a mistake. Pilots are humans. Is it common? Gosh if it was you would not need to ask about it. it was my first time flying and the pilot flew over the airport and this means what really? Was the pilot supposed to land? Was he on the route given by Air Traffic controllers and proceeding as directed to his position in the line of planes waiting to land? DO YOU KNOW or are just a back seat flyer pretending you know about Airports? Some reason you were not talking directly with the pilot? Is this common for pilots to miss their airport on the first go? NO IT IS NOT COMMON Does it happen? YES In particular for new pilots learning to fly and land. Of course you are completely aware of all things happening on the ground that might cause the runway to be suddenly closed and plane is diverted at last moment. Those irritating little things like a Firetruck responding to a grass fire or moose on the runway. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsbaPS-aOsk

Edna

The pilot didn't "miss" the airport and he wasn't making a U-turn. As the pilot was on his approach to the airport, the air traffic controller in the tower "waved him off". He told the pilot to "go 'round again". There was heavy incoming air traffic, or the run way the pilot was intending to use had debris on it and he would have to use a different run way - someone like that. The pilot was circling the airport, in a holding pattern, until he received clearance to land.

RICK

A "missed approach" happens but is rare Its usually due to wind direction

D J

Aircraft are sometimes kept in a holding pattern flying around the airport in order to let other planes land or to line up on the runways.

Joe

There is something called a "missed approach". There's a point during a landing approach where the pilot is required to actually see the runway (i.e., not just with instruments). In bad weather, if he can't see the airport, he is required to climb, and go around again. That might be what you experienced.

Pearl L

nnaybe he had a reason for nnissing it, there couldve been bad weather for all you know