This pilot stayed calm as a storm blocked a Joburg landing
A passenger filmed his flight going around in a storm over Johannesburg while the pilot calmly talked everyone through it. The clip has about 218,000 views.
Thick storm cloud swallows the wing, the plane pulls back up, and the pilot calmly tells everyone they are going around for another try. @banele_mthiya filmed the approach into Johannesburg from his window seat and posted it on 9 November. It has about 218,000 views.
The on-screen text says it happened on Sunday 8 November and calls it "the three landing attempts that got the whole plane praying". In the clip, the pilot explains that a big storm is sitting on the final approach, so the approach became unstable and the crew had to circle back through the weather. The video ends with the runway finally in sight. The creator has not named the airline, and we could not confirm it.
A go-around, where pilots abandon a landing and climb away to try again, is a standard safety procedure rather than an emergency, according to aviation safety reference SKYbrary.
What the comments are saying
@kushgod.kg:
"we got the best aviation in this country...thats one thing for sure!!" (3,662 likes)
@londeka.zwane8:
"The way pilots are always so chilled when going updates😭😭😭😭😭." (1,837 likes)
@missbeck786:
"im always drinking when I fly, i dont like stress" (1,712 likes)
@mabhala.sphelele:
"We have the best pilots in the world" (544 likes)
@gosegosedikelo:
"South Africans and laughing 🤣🤣🤣 why are they laughing" (508 likes)
@miracleluxe_boutique:
"Im still traumatised i thoughts sengiyafa 😭" (305 likes)
@leratojthotolo:
"Had a similar experience a few months ago after circling around for almost an hour they landed us safely… definitely one of the scariest things I’ve ever been through🙆🏻♂️" (44 likes)
@user5824190153818:
"I love how calm the pilot is. Give the man a bells" (33 likes)
Video and image: @banele_mthiya on TikTok.