We're on the Theme Building at LAX spotting for the day. The Fiji A330 arrival got asked by the Tower to do an S-turn for arriving traffic on 24L, which got garbled and Tower had to repeat the instruction. Fiji started the S-turn really late and then wound up having to do the most spectacular late go-around while banked way over trying to get out of the S-turn right over the threshold.

When they came back around to land about ten minutes later, the following exchange occurred (and the Fiji pilot had an Aussie accent so thick you could cut it with a knife, just so you can properly imagine this):

Fiji: "Tower, on our go-around, what was that airplane that rolled all the way down to the end of the runway?"
Tower: "That was Singapore."
Fiji: "Yeah, typical."

Not professional...but amusing.

Interestingly, it was one of three go-arounds in five minutes, all due to traffic. One was a WN 73G trying to land on 25R, one was the Fiji A333 on 24L, and one was a DL 753 also on 24L.

lol, saw that, but wasn't listening. How funny.

Was just at Imperial. Probably headed back in a bit, if you guys are still around. Give a holler.

We're headed back up to the observation deck now. Drop in if you like

About 15 years ago I worked off Imperial for a couple years. I live in Orange County and the drive was a killer. However, many lunches were spent on Imperial plane spotting. It made the drive worth it. I never made it up to the Theme building. I actually learned things talking to the other watchers. Have fun guys.

Please elucidate... is the undercurrent an FJ/SQ issue, or AU vs. SG "love"?
Are SQ known as runway hogs generally? Did SQ simply have a late touchdown?
Would pilot landing know who was in queue on approach... like a Flightradar24 app on his unmentionable in the cockpit?

WPvsMW wrote:

Are SQ known as runway hogs generally? Did SQ simply have a late touchdown?
Would pilot landing know who was in queue on approach... like a Flightradar24 app on his unmentionable in the cockpit?

SQ are pretty painful to be behind most of the time, very slow on descent, poor profiles, not sticking to speed restrictions, and not being friendly to other users like minimum runway occupancy times. Listen out on frequency and you can hear who is infront. Mind you they are not the only ones.

I saw the Fiji go around from my room in the Hilton.

I didn't think the theme building was open today, bummer, so much nicer up there in the warm California weather than my hotel room ☹️

WPvsMW wrote:

Please elucidate... is the undercurrent an FJ/SQ issue, or AU vs. SG "love"?
Are SQ known as runway hogs generally? Did SQ simply have a late touchdown?
Would pilot landing know who was in queue on approach... like a Flightradar24 app on his unmentionable in the cockpit?

Listening to the live atc archive starting 2011z it goes somewhat like this wording not 100% correct:

FJI810: Los Angeles Tower, Fiji 810 Heavy with you Rwy 24L
(TWR immediately goes to SIA12 before acknowledging FJI810 )
LAX_N TWR: Singapore 12 Heavy, if able left Z right E
SIA12: Can we take AA? Singapore 12 Heavy
LAX_N TWR: If you do it quickly, there's traffic in position (DAL185) and traffic on final (FJI810)
SIA12: Roger, we'll take AA, Singapore 12 Heavy
LAX_N TWR: Fiji 810 Heavy , Los Angeles Tower
FJI810: Fiji 810 Heavy with you at 6 miles.
LAX_N TWR: Fiji 810 Heavy Roger, Traffic in position (DAL185) and traffic rolling out (SIA12), Give me a S turn to the north.
FJI810: Say again last? Fiji 810 Heavy
LAX_N TWR: Fiji 810 Heavy, I need you to make a s turn, turn right then left on final
FJI810: Giving you a s turn, Fiji 810 Heavy
LAX_N TWR: Singapore 12 Heavy, contact ground 121.65
SIA12: 121.65, Turn right on E?
LAX_N TWR: Yes or go straight ahead, just keep moving away from the runway.
(LAX_N TWR clears DAL185 for take off RW 24L)
LAX_N TWR: Fiji 810 Heavy, turn left
FJI810: Can't do it. Going around, Fiji 810 Heavy.

Based off that FJI810 would have heard LAX_N TWR hurrying SIA12 along while waiting for LAX_N TWR to acknowledge their initial call. So I'd say they had a pretty good idea who it that made them go around.

As for the FR24 equivalent, the traffic would appear on TCAS giving speed and vertical separation information but I don't believe it would identify who it was, but landing at KLAX you'd probably have several nearby aircraft and you'd be more interested in your approach than looking down at your ND to see what else is landing or taking off.

as for "using the whole runway" that might have been an slight exaggeration by the FJI crew. it turned off at AA which is I'm guessing is about 1,500'-2,000' short of the end of the runway. For the record AFR and BAW had an A380 each which also vacated at AA a few minutes before SIA12 which was a B77W.

I'm interested is RW 24L for both arrivals and departures a typical setup at KLAX? I always thought they used the inboard runways (6R/7L/24L/25R) for departures and outboards (6L/7R/24R/25L) for arrivals.

zeke wrote:

WPvsMW wrote:

Are SQ known as runway hogs generally? Did SQ simply have a late touchdown?
Would pilot landing know who was in queue on approach... like a Flightradar24 app on his unmentionable in the cockpit?

SQ are pretty painful to be behind most of the time, very slow on descent, poor profiles, not sticking to speed restrictions, and not being friendly to other users like minimum runway occupancy times. Listen out on frequency and you can hear who is infront. Mind you they are not the only ones.

SQ definitely cleans up its act when landing in SIN. When on business in SG, I stay in Changi Village and take the beach walk out to Changi Freight Terminal Rd. for some spotting time. SQ finals, at least the heavies, are the smoothest, and have the fewest corrections, compared to D7 and other LCCs, (except TZ (fka TR)). Those LCCs have control inputs that merit the work "jerky". TZ' Dreamliners are definitely the most beautiful frames of the lot.

vhqpa wrote:

Listening to the live atc archive starting 2011z it goes somewhat like this wording not 100% correct:

Yup. Heard the whole thing. When Fiji said "can't do it" he was banked far to starboard and I could see the planform. It was pretty dramatic.

vhqpa wrote:

I'm interested is RW 24L for both arrivals and departures a typical setup at KLAX? I always thought they used the inboard runways (6R/7L/24L/25R) for departures and outboards (6L/7R/24R/25L) for arrivals.

No, it is not. 24R was closed for construction today.

WPvsMW wrote:

SQ definitely cleans up its act when landing in SIN. When on business in SG, I stay in Changi Village and take the beach walk out to Changi Freight Terminal Rd. for some spotting time. SQ finals, at least the heavies, are the smoothest, and have the fewest corrections, compared to D7 and other LCCs, (except TZ (fka TR)). Those LCCs have control inputs that merit the work "jerky". TZ' Dreamliners are definitely the most beautiful frames of the lot.

SQ are the worst offenders at SIN, back below 250 kts above FL200, not following published speeds, taking forever to taxi to the runway, taking forever top get off the runway on landing. The number of times I have waited for the SQ crew to be seated is unbelievable. Most times you have an SQ aircraft infront of you blocking the runway waiting for their crew to be seated. Probably costs SIN a couple of movements an hour, not to mention all the wasted fuel everyone else is burning because they cannot get their act together.

They also have a habit of going max speed to get in first on the arrival sequence then reducing to min clean for the reminder of cruise and descent. End result everyone following them gets zigzag vectors as they are flying normal speeds and normal descent profiles. Creates nothing but more workload for ATC, increases frequency congestion esp when there is Wx around.

Dont get me started on simple airman ship practices like listening out on frequency before transmitting. They just over transmit everyone like they are the only aircraft on frequency. Again adds noting but additional workload to ATC and other who have to repeat instructions and readbacks as they were over-transmitted.

If it was DXB or LHR they would take them out of the sequence and put them at the back of the line, in SIN they have a sense of entitlement

Very interesting, zeke. I now limit my "clean up their act" comment at SIN to from when the a/c livery is visible until touchdown. In a city normally thought as the most well-mannered populace south of Japan, SQ' airport behavior is anything but well-mannered. Rude... bordering on dangerous.

A very interesting go around. I saw this from Sepulveda, and have never seen an aircraft do that before.