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[Extreme Photography] Life-or-Death Go-Around


On August 2, 2025, my wife and I boarded flight, originally scheduled to depart at 11:55 but delayed to 12:40, flying from Bali, Indonesia to Sydney, Australia. What began as a calm journey turned into the most intense experience in my decades of flying: a full go-around just moments before landing.

Our assigned seats were 30E for me and 30F for my wife, but after boarding, we swapped seats. I ended up at 30F by the window, becoming the first eyewitness and full recorder of the entire incident. I used a smartphone, handheld, with the camera app’s flight data overlay activated, capturing every frame with timestamp, altitude, speed, direction, and coordinates.

Around 20:30, the captain announced wind speeds of 60 km/h near Sydney. The descent began, with footage showing a drop from 653 meters to a minimum of 293 meters. As the city lights drew near, the aircraft suddenly accelerated, nose up, engines roaring. I felt the pushback and instantly realized — we were going around. I kept recording while the altitude rapidly climbed past 1000 meters. Minutes later, the captain confirmed via announcement that strong winds forced a go-around.

At exactly 20:30:14, our flight attempted to land but then pulled up sharply. My camera shows the view from seat 30F (right side, southwest-facing). Based on the image data, the plane was at an altitude of 293 meters, traveling at 207.8 km/h. The location was above Hay Street, Leichhardt, NSW.

Image data included:
– Time: 2025-08-02 20:30:14
– Photographer: Jeffi Wu
– Coordinates: 33.8879 S, 151.1607 E
– Camers Direction: 220 (SW)
– Altitude: 293.7 m
– Speed: 207.8 km/h
– Location: Hay Street, Leichhardt NSW 2040, Australia

Sydney had experienced days of heavy rain, and the weather remained unstable. A go-around is a standard safety measure in aviation, triggered by sidewinds, runway issues, or unstable approach—not just visible weather. Statistically, global go-around rates are around 0.2% to 0.4%. To capture one with high-resolution data, uninterrupted footage, and full flight metrics is exceedingly rare.

What made this record unique was the camera angle — not straight ahead, but diagonally southwest, unobstructed by the wing, showing runway lights, cloud layers, and aircraft motion clearly. Others may have filmed too, but I may be the only one with synchronized footage and full metadata. This is how my photography philosophy — always include timestamp, direction, speed, and location — proved its worth beyond aesthetics.

After the go-around, the cabin went completely silent. No one spoke. Only a baby could be heard crying softly, and a child near me asked clearly, "Mummy, why fly again?" Many passengers gasped. My own heartbeat was audible. As the plane circled back, people gripped their seats, staring quietly at the dark windows.

During the second descent, wing shaking was visible. The landing was tense — left gear touched first, followed by multiple bounces and turbulence. The jolt of touchdown vibrated through every seat. Still, no one spoke — until a few seconds of stable taxiing passed. Then, spontaneous applause and cheers erupted — not just for the pilot, but a collective emotional release.

Around 20:51, after landing, the crew allowed passengers to take photos. I personally thanked the captain, who invited me into the cockpit and allowed photos in the pilot’s seat. His calmness and professionalism turned this ordeal into a warm memory.

Looking back, I realize this was a once-in-a-lifetime record. People can shoot Uluru or cityscapes anytime. But capturing a full go-around, with second-by-second flight data — that cannot be replicated. Others may have similar footage, but without the system, metadata, or preservation method, the difference is vast.

This wasn’t just a flight. It was an extreme system test — of aviation, photography, and personal composure. Even in documentaries or global aviation databases, few contain full records like this. That’s why I call this moment:

Life-or-Death Go-Around at 293 Meters – Captured from 30F

All footage includes timestamp, location, speed, altitude, and is personally recorded and verified. Full data available upon request or in my ongoing article series on the Australian Longwind Forum.