Why isn't a go-around always possible at the last moment?

Answer: Late phases leave little margin

Late phases leave little margin ✓ — Correct! A go-around is a real safety procedure, but it works best before the aircraft is too deep into landing. Very near touchdown, or once the aircraft is already settling onto the runway, speed, thrust response, aircraft attitude, and remaining distance all squeeze the decision window. 'Just go around' often sounds easier from the ground than it is in those final moments.

Pilots avoid fuel burn — Wrong. Fuel use is not the reason a last-second go-around may fail. Pilots will gladly burn extra fuel if that is the safe option. The hard part is that the aircraft may already be in a phase where the physical and timing margins are shrinking fast.

Night airports ban it — Wrong. Airports do not generally ban go-arounds at night. In fact, they remain an important safety tool. The limit is not a rule against using them; it is that, very late in the landing sequence, the available margin can be too small.