Unless I'm very short on gas or on fire, I'm going around... And yes, as the Captain, I am 100% responsible (morally and legally) for the safety of my passengers... regardless of what they have or haven't been told.

Also, a go-around is high risk/dangerous? Puhleez! Now snapping someone's neck as they hit the lav mirror or go rolling down the aisle as you decelerate from 150ish to 0... that seems quite high risk/dangerous. YMMV

 

Or if you've just held for an hour because the airport was below mins and only now did the TDZ RVR briefly creep up above mins just for a few token moments -- it'd be hard to go around in that situation, too.

I see where the ''just land'' sayers are coming from. I do. In the common sense world (an alternate reality, of course) our obligations are satisfied when the cabin crew has told the pax to fasten seat belt, put the tray tables up, seats upright, etc and we've got the seat belt sign on. Somebody still gets up, goes to the pooper, we land anyway, person returns to their seat while taxiing to the gate. No harm, no foul. Life is good.

What do you guys think the chief pilot, the FAA, the LAWYERS are going to say if said knucklehead is discovered DOA in the lav with a fractured skull after pulling into the gate? Sweet Moses, they would have a field day. They'll Monday-Morning-Quarterback your decision till they're blue in the face, but something tells me that you, the PIC, would be in quite a shistorm if they ''felt'' you had more than enough gas, traffic was light, weather was good.........

As for answering the intercom on a two mile final -- that's debatable, too. What if they're calling to say you've really got a problem, like there was an unusually loud bang heard in the cabin when the gear came down, or something that could compromise safety on landing? You don't know unless you answer.

There really is no right answer at the end of the day.

Go-around? Land? Really depends, I guess. Unless the guy doesn't speak English, I think at the very least s/he gets an Inflight Disturbance report.

 

...as opposed to TOGA power and pitching up 10 to 15 degrees?

 

+1

Saw this scenario play out on final approach last week while commuting to work. Passenger is about to hurl, opts to get up and do it in the aft lav. FA advises him we will be landing in less than a minute and to hold on to something as best he can. Pilots roll it on, and come to a stop holding short of another runway. FA calls the cockpit and advises one up in the lav. Aircraft stays put for another minute or so until the passenger comes out and gets back to his seat. Aircraft taxis on into gate. End of story.

I wouldn't have handled it any different if I was on duty for that flight, and I applaud the demonstration of common sense, risk management, and judgement from all involved.

 

I said increased risk, not necessarily dangerous, and you half to admit that. Snapping someone's neck? Puleeze. Why don't you save the brakes for the next crew and let the reverses work for a bit ok?

 

Going around would be a crappy idea. Way to **** away a bunch of fuel.

 

Landing was the right call. Not sure why you answered the phone on short final if all indications were normal?

 

Curiosity got the cat I guess.

 

I'd land, but I'd also have taken the call too just in case it was a real emergency that we didn't know about. Chances of that being the case are next to none but you never know.

 

That's good Mike! Thanks for the laughs! See what you're not missing? Although I'm sure some of the clients you fly around pull some pretty stupid stunts too.