Plain English Meaning

The pilot decides not to land after all, adds power, and climbs away to try again or divert.

Full Definition

A landing attempt that is discontinued by the pilot, who applies power and transitions the airplane back to a climb instead of completing the touchdown. It is another term for a go-around initiated late in the approach or after the airplane has begun its landing flare.

Context Anchor

Pilots encounter this during landing practice, go-around training, and real approaches when the airplane is not lined up well, is too high or too fast, the wind changes, or the runway is not safe to use.

Derivation

‘Reject’ comes from the Latin reicere, meaning ‘to back.’ A rejected landing is a landing the pilot ‘throws back’ — chooses not to — and instead climbs away.