China Eastern Flight's Near Miss at Amsterdam Schiphol: A Wind Shear Incident

A tense moment unfolded at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS) when a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 777-300ER, arriving from Shanghai, was forced into a go-around maneuver on January 15th. This decision, made during a crucial phase of landing on runway 27, was attributed to a sudden loss of stability, likely due to wind shear conditions.

Turbulent Approach and Safe Landing

Flight MU771, which originated from Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG), experienced almost 12 hours of flight time before facing the challenging landing situation. The Boeing 777-300ER, recorded by Flightradar24, had left Shanghai at 12:15 and was scheduled to land in Amsterdam. However, the pilots had to execute a go-around – an uncommon yet crucial procedure for ensuring flight safety. This maneuver resulted in a delay, but the aircraft successfully landed 10 minutes later at 17:08. Subsequently, the return flight to Shanghai was also delayed, departing at 13:48 instead of the scheduled 11:30.

The Go-Around Procedure Explained

A go-around is a vital safety protocol in aviation, involving an aborted landing attempt. It can be initiated either before or after the aircraft's wheels make contact with the runway. Various factors, such as wind shear or runway obstructions, can necessitate this action. During a go-around, pilots apply full thrust, retract the landing gear, and adjust the flaps while coordinating with air traffic control. Statistically, go-arounds are rare, occurring in approximately three out of every 1,000 approaches.

China Eastern's Fleet and Operations

The aircraft involved, registered as B-2022, was delivered to China Eastern Airlines in July 2015. It has a capacity of 316 passengers, featuring a three-class layout. China Eastern, with a fleet of 20 Boeing 777-300ERs, utilizes these aircraft for various routes, including destinations like Paris, Los Angeles, Singapore, and Chengdu. Alongside the 777-300ERs, their widebody fleet includes Boeing 787s, Airbus A330-200s, A330-300s, and A350-900s.

China Eastern's service between Shanghai and Amsterdam, operating once daily, competes with KLM's daily service on the same route. The latter, however, experiences longer flight times due to the current inability to fly over Russian airspace.