Flying is a pretty scary thing, especially when you're doing a longer distance flight. However, it's important to think about things logically - plane crashes are super rare!
But when things go wrong, or they at least feel like they're going to go wrong, then everything feels so real. And you get really caught up in the moment, and then the hysteria comes.
That's what happened to passengers on a flight heading to Pasto, a remote mountain city in Colombia. According to the New York Post, the city lies 6,000 feet above sea level, meaning that flying into there can get quite tricky for pilots.
And tricky is an understatement for what happened on Tuesday, May 26. Low visibility, strong winds, and thick fog all contributed to the Avianca flight having to abort two seperate landings.
And the passengers were freaking out. Video footage taken by a passenger shows passengers breathing deeply and praying as the plane went down. Some passengers had an even worse time - with apparent fainting, nausea, and panic attacks.
The second aborted landing prompted the pilots to divert back to Colombia's capital, Bogota. After they waited patiently for conditions to improve, they set back off, eventually landing safely in Pasto.
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A Spokesperson Explained This Was Normal
But, an airline spokesperson has explained that this is quite normal in terms of flying, and that passengers shouldn't be worried.
"When conditions are not safe, pilots must abort the maneuver and try again or divert. It is a completely normal part of aerial safety protocols. Safety is our priority."
But, as it turns out, aborted landings happen for a variety of reasons, not just because of inclement weather.
According to Flight Deck Friend, air traffic control can be one reason that planes abort their landing. This happens more often than you think, as flight sometimes get too close to each other near the runway.
Another reason can be because of the plane not being stabilised. This refers to the plane being at the right speed, angle, and having its landing gear down. Unstable planes will be prompted to abort their landing and do a go-around.
