Nagpur: A number of flights preferred to ‘go around’ instead of directly touching down at the Nagpur airport this month due to erratic weather conditions. ‘Go around’ is a term for not landing on the first attempt, and rather circling in the sky to take a second attempt. This can be for various reasons and solely at the pilot’s discretion. There have been eight ‘go arounds’ at the Nagpur airport this month, said source part of the operations. On Saturday, two aircraft flying from Mumbai and Bengaluru did a ‘go-around’ due to low visibility on account of fog. The visibility was impacted due to fog as the aircraft came close to the runway. At times, the visibility is clear all the way but there are layers of fog closer to the runway. In aviation terms, it’s called ‘Slant visibility’.It was a rare phenomenon on Saturday, said a source. Nagpur is a category 1 airport, which means there is the least risk of visibility getting affected due to fog like in the northern areas. “Even visibility till 500 metres is enough. Airports with high fog risk have lights in the middle of the runway. However, it entails a major investment, and Nagpur does not come under the risk category,” said a source.There have been ‘go-arounds’ during the month for other weather-related reasons too, like crosswinds or tailwinds. Crosswinds create a sideways pressure on the aircraft, making it difficult to maintain alignment. In such cases, the pilots prefer to circle around and land again. Tailwinds push the plane harder as it approaches downwards, again leading to a go-around, said a source.A distance of around 2 km from the runway is called ‘Decision altitude’. At this level, the pilot can take a call on whether to land straight away or take another chance, explained a source at the airport. Even as it is normal, this month, bad weather led to an increase in ‘go-arounds’, said the source.Go-arounds happen to ensure safety at the time of landing and are rather encouraged for aviation safety. The air traffic control towers promptly give clearance, a source said. At times, the pilot simply says “unstable approach”. This means the aircraft may not be at the correct speed needed for landing, hence a second attempt is needed, said a source.
