Less than an hour ago flight BA6426 from Cape Town to Joburg was coming into land when, just a few meters above the ground, the pilot suddenly accelerated the engines pushing myself and the other passengers back in our seats as he climbed steeply, aborting the landing. We were told that the reason he had done this was that there was another plane on the runway! In all my years of flying I have never had such a close shave. I’m lead to believe that this is a well respected international airport, and I am sure these things can happen anywhere in the world. I wonder how often they go unreported. Perhaps in these days of social media such as blogs, Twitter and Facebook more such incidents will be reported! I must say it didn’t really reassure me much to hear from passengers on a plane from Dubai that they’d also had to abort a landing not long before us, but in their case because cross winds had blown them off course towards the grass!
How much we assume that our lives will go on and on, and that we will be safe. How clearly immediately after an incident like this do we feel glad to be alive! How strongly right now do I want to make the most of the life God has spared. How many are the dangers that each day I may be unaware of. This has been a long, but good trip. I am very glad I fly home tomorrow.
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