An American Airlines flight en route to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport was instructed to perform a go-around maneuver to maintain a safe distance from another aircraft departing the same runway, as per the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This avoided potential conflict as it safely landed around 8:20 a.m. on Tuesday.
On the same morning, a similar precautionary action took place when a flight headed for Chicago’s Midway Airport also needed to ascend back into the air. This was reportedly to steer clear of another aircraft crossing the runway. A spokesperson for Southwest Airlines conveyed that Flight 2504, which originated from Omaha, Nebraska, landed safely after executing the maneuver.
American Airlines confirmed that Flight 2246 from Boston completed its landing without any incidents following the go-around directive from air traffic control. “This maneuver is part of standard safety procedures, with the go-around being a common aviation practice to ensure safety and efficiency,” the airline said.
Aviation professionals highlighted that such maneuvers are routine in commercial aviation for several reasons, spanning from adverse weather conditions to unexpected runway obstructions. Should an aircraft need to perform a go-around, pilots can manage the situation seamlessly with minimal passenger awareness if the aircraft maintains sufficient altitude upon approach.
Robert Joslin of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s College of Aviation explained that these occurrences are more frequent than many realize, often triggered by reasons unrelated to imminent collisions. According to FAA statistics, about 4 out of 1,000 aircraft arrivals at the busiest U.S. airports required go-arounds in fiscal year 2023, with the FAA managing approximately 45,000 flights daily.
Go-around maneuvers are part of pilots’ training, especially under conditions relying heavily on instruments due to low visibility. Pilots must prepare for possible missed approaches as part of standard protocol.
Several factors can necessitate aborting a landing, such as excessive altitude or speed, misalignment with the runway, unintended runway crossings, or air traffic miscommunications. Weather and wildlife are additional factors that can impact decisions to perform a go-around.
The aviation sector has faced various incidents in recent weeks, including catastrophic crashes. Following are a few notable occurrences: an accident on February 6 in Alaska involving a commuter plane that resulted in the loss of ten lives, a midair collision on January 26 over National Airport between an Army helicopter and a passenger plane, claiming 67 lives, a tragic crash of a medical transport jet into a Philadelphia neighborhood on January 31, and an incident on February 17 where a Delta flight tipped over at Toronto’s Pearson Airport, injuring numerous passengers.
