> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.thecontrail.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # A Plane Aborting Its Landing Isn't a "Near-Miss." Stop Calling It One - URL: https://www.thecontrail.org/why-did-my-plane-abort-landing-go-around/ - Published: 2026-11-03T19:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-03T19:00:00.000Z - Description: A video of a Singapore Airlines jet pulling up at Perth is being shared as a scary close call. It wasn't. I fly hundreds of thousands of miles a year, and here's why a go-around is the safety system working, not failing. - Author: Zach Benitez - Tags: Editorial Why did my plane abort its landing? If you've ever felt the engines roar back to life seconds before touchdown and watched the ground fall away again, you've been through a go-around. And if you've seen the video going around this week of a Singapore Airlines jet pulling up at Perth Airport, you've probably seen it described as a "scary near-miss." It wasn't. Nothing hit anything, nobody was hurt, and the plane landed safely a few minutes later. What happened at Perth is one of the most routine, most practiced and safest decisions a pilot can make, and I'm tired of watching it get sold as a brush with disaster. --- ## What a Go-Around Actually Is A go-around is exactly what it sounds like. On the way in to land, the pilots decide the landing doesn't look right, add power, climb away and come back around for another try. That's it. Pilots train for this constantly, and most airlines tell their crews that going around is never the wrong call. If the plane isn't lined up perfectly, if a gust pushes it off the centerline, if it's coming in a little too fast or too high, or if another plane hasn't cleared the runway yet, they go around. Many airlines actually treat a pilot who forces a bad landing as a bigger problem than one who goes around too often. Go-arounds aren't rare, either. They happen at airports all over the world every single day. You just don't see most of them, because there isn't someone filming from the fence with a phone. Go-arounds, explained If your plane pulls up before landing 1 The engines get loudThe pilots add power and climb away from the runway. 2 The plane loops aroundIt lines up for another try, usually within 10 to 20 minutes. 3 The pilots explainOnce things settle, they'll often tell you why over the speaker. RememberA go-around is the safety system working. It's not a near-miss. Contrail --- ## Why "Near-Miss" Is the Wrong Word A near-miss means two things almost collided, or a plane came close to an accident. A go-around is the opposite of that. It's the moment a crew sees a possible problem early and takes the plane out of it before anything can go wrong. Calling it a near-miss gets clicks, and I understand why. A plane tilting its wings low over a runway looks dramatic in a still photo. But words like that stick. Plenty of people are already nervous about flying, and every time a routine maneuver gets dressed up as a close call, it tells them the system is more fragile than it is. It isn't. Airline flying is one of the safest ways to travel ever invented, and a big part of the reason is that pilots are trained to walk away from landings like this one. We cover real safety stories at Contrail, including serious ones. That's exactly why it matters to keep the scary language for things that are actually scary. ## Know Before You Fly Delays, strikes, new routes and the airline news that actually affects your trip, explained for normal travelers. Free in your inbox. Get Contrail Free Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. --- ## If Your Flight Ever Goes Around It can feel alarming in the moment, especially if it happens with no warning. The engines get loud, the nose comes up and you feel yourself pushed back into your seat. That's normal, and it's what's supposed to happen. Here's what to expect. The plane will climb, make a wide loop and line up to land again, usually within 10 to 20 minutes. The pilots will often explain over the speaker once things settle down, though they're busy flying first, so it can take a few minutes. And the second landing is almost always uneventful. So the next time you see a video of a plane aborting a landing with a dramatic caption on it, remember what you're actually watching. It's not a disaster that almost happened. It's a pilot doing their job well.