http://www.3aw.com.au/blogs/3aw-breakfast-blog/john-travolta-misses-the-runway/20101117-17wkh.htmlSound is not great
AIR authorities and Qantas have rejected claims John Travolta overshot a runway as he flew into Melbourne for Qantas' 90th birthday celebrations.
And Air Services Australia and the airline also rejected suggestions Travolta came close to a building as he approached Melbourne Airport.
Qantas spokesman Tom Woodward said air traffic control had simply asked Travolta, in Australia for the airline's 90th birthday celebrations, to initiate a procedure known as a go-around as he approached the airport.
“Rather than landing as scheduled, you have to back up, you have to go around and land on the second occasion. It's pretty common in aviation.
“It was not anything to do with the piloting of the aircraft. It was just a request from traffic control.''
Mr Woodward said go-arounds are usually initiated around somewhere between 60m and 300m altitude.
He said Travolta had not made a mistake and reacted according to his training.
Airservices Australia backed Qantas, saying Travolta simply conducted a routine go-around and there were no safety issues.
Mr Woodward said pilots were usually asked to do go-arounds because there was another aircraft which was slow clearning the runway or due to poor visibility.
3AW reported, following a call to the station's Rumour File, that a plane purporting to be Travolta's private 707 vintage Qantas jet flew as low as 131m on his first approach to Tullamarine about 11.20am last Saturday.
Another caller suggested that Travolta came through the clouds and was 300-400m west of the runway.
“He definitely missed the runway by a longshot,'' the caller said.
