Refer China: Flight from SH Took off Again After Touchdown, Sparking Panic

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Flight from Shanghai Take off Again After Touchdown, Sparking Panic

A flight from Shanghai to Yinchuan, flight HO2301, experienced a highly unusual situation when the aircraft touched down but was forced to take off again due to unforeseen circumstances. Despite the initial touchdown, the plane had to make a sudden return to the sky and eventually made an emergency landing at Xi'an Xianyang International Airport. The flight later continued its journey and safely reached Yinchuan that same evening.

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Unstable Weather Conditions Lead to the Incident

As the plane approached Yinchuan, visibility was severely low due to a sandstorm, which posed a challenge to the flight crew and passengers. Passenger Fang Fang (a pseudonym) shared her experience with Jimu News, describing the few minutes of turbulence and confusion during the incident. She explained that the weather at Yinchuan Airport was poor, with strong winds and sandstorms making it almost impossible to see the runway.

As the plane descended, Fang recalled feeling a jolt as the wheels touched the ground—twice. "I clearly felt the wheels hit the tarmac, but the aircraft was shaking uncontrollably, and it wasn't able to stabilize. Just two seconds later, the plane was airborne again, and I could hear passengers around me screaming. There was a moment of total silence," she said.

Emergency Diversion and Safe Landing

After the plane initiated the go-around procedure, the crew decided to circle the airport before attempting another landing. Due to the worsening weather, the flight crew prepared to divert to Xi'an Xianyang International Airport. The passengers were informed of the situation, and some, including Fang, became visibly distressed, with several passengers vomiting due to the turbulence.

Fang noted that a crew member warned that attempting a hard landing in Yinchuan could risk damaging the plane's wings. With safety as the priority, the plane safely landed at Xi'an after more than an hour of circling. Fang breathed a sigh of relief as she felt the solid ground beneath her feet, appreciating the crew's quick thinking in the face of uncertainty.

Delayed Arrival and Weather Forecast

After arriving in Xi'an, the aircraft remained grounded for a while, and passengers were given the option to discontinue their journey.

Flight data indicated that after a 6-hour delay, the plane departed from Xi'an and arrived in Yinchuan safely at 6:31 PM, with the entire journey experiencing a delay of 6 hours and 36 minutes.

A weather alert from the Yinchuan Meteorological Station on May 3rd indicated strong winds and sandstorms, with visibility dropping below 3 kilometers in some areas, contributing to the flight's challenging conditions.

What Led to the Go-Around?

Senior pilot Chen Jianguo explained that a go-around after a touchdown can happen for various reasons. These include risks like running off the runway, high bounce on landing, deviation from the centerline, obstacles on the runway, or sudden weather deterioration. In such cases, the flight crew must assess the situation carefully and choose the safest course of action.

Chen emphasized that diversions to alternate airports are standard procedure in cases like this, where weather conditions at the destination airport are not suitable for a safe landing. Even though go-arounds are uncommon, they are part of pilot training to ensure safety in unexpected situations.

Source: 上观新闻

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