TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Aborted Landing

Bet ya there is a lot of screaming in there.
Amazing blast off!
irina

I was watching it live on the webcam and couldn't believe what I was seeing! It was a really rainy day at the airport and very busy.

Exact same thing happened to us a few years back. We could see people sitting at SSBG right out the window. Still have marks from my wifes nails in my knee. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" />

Windy and rainy...you can see how the aircraft was bounced around. Great piloting.

Scary stuff!!!!

We landed about an hour ahead of this flight and we could actually see the 'weather' moving in as we flew nearer to the islands, and by the time we actually cleared the airport - about 1:00 - we were all like drowned rats. In all our many years and trips I have never seen this kind of weather/rain conditions. Yet by four o'clock it was beautiful again and just what you'd expect a St. Maarten afternoon to be. Well, aside from the road flooding and such but once the rain squall passed through it was gorgeous all over again. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

Glad you landed ok. Hoping to hear about your trip!!

Even more so than Westjet, a good go around. Nothing worse than to push a crappy approach. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/toast.gif" alt="" />

Omg I would have had a heart attack!!!!

Anybody know which flight thaf was? PHL, CLT, MIA?

It said CLT.

CLT. The same flight we take every year in November.

Yup, the one we will be taking in a couple of months. Can't believe I'm going all the way north to Charlotte to get south!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" />

To me, maybe it's the angle, but that looked a whole lot more scary than the WestJet deal. It looked like the plane wasn't over the runway and the wings were definitely NOT level! I bet there were some people with their hearts in their throats! Definitely looks like they made the right decision to go around.

Looks like wind shear, during heavy convective rain showers you can get down bursts of wind from directions other then usual. Notice how the plane crabs then drops before taking back off, looks like it lost some lift. Most major airports in the world have wind shear sensing systems to warn approaching aircraft, not sure they have one. Another reason why SXM is one of worlds most dangerous airports. I'm always nervous when landing or taking off in weather.

I've been in some hairy landings in both commercial and military aircraft but definitely would have be doing a trouser check and hitting the nearest bar once on the ground.

I agree. He was nearly sideways when he made the decision to go around.

I have to fly to get to SXM & now more nervous than before. I always thought the planes had instruments to tell them how far from the ground they were? Anybody know why they weren't aware??
Did u hear one of the pilots from the Charlotte plane today talking to the ATC? I think he asked if there was a spot where there were no clouds today. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HQMgnckqS_E

The is American go around in foul weather reminds <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" /> me of this Navy F-14 aborted landing on the carrier. Last second decision a good one

Well, while not fun to watch this video as I will be on this same flight in 2 weeks, it always reassures me on American or other big carriers that combined experience between Captain/FO is greater than 30 years... it's what they do every day

Not that it changes anything but this could happen to any airline, any flight and from any departure city. You are dealing with weather and while the planes have the same instruments they would when landing elsewhere, you are dealing with wind over water and basic weather in the tropics. While a lot of flying is automated, it does comes down to having competent pilots to make the right decision given the situation and the elements.

Landings like that make you realize that these professionals deserve every penny they get paid.