WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
  • Lufthansa Flight LH 456 aborted its landing at LAX after appearing to touch down farther along Runway 24R than expected.
  • The Boeing 747 pitched sharply upward, leaving its tail appearing only inches above the runway.
  • Footage showed no obvious tail strike, and the aircraft successfully climbed away to prepare for another approach.
  • Only around 50 Boeing 747s remain in airline fleets, with Lufthansa operating more than half.

A massive Lufthansa Boeing 747 came perilously close to disaster Saturday afternoon during a dramatic landing attempt at LAX. The four-engine jumbo jet was arriving in Southern California after traveling from Frankfurt, Germany, as reported by The New York Post.

Footage captured by aviation enthusiasts at Airline Videos Live showed the enormous aircraft descending toward the airport runway. Its landing gear was fully extended as the jet approached the tarmac.

The Boeing 747 appeared to touch down farther along the runway than expected, setting up an alarming sequence. Rather than continue the landing attempt, the pilots abandoned the approach and powered the aircraft back into the air.

That maneuver, known as a go-around, allows a flight crew to discontinue a landing and circle back for another attempt. In this case, the procedure produced a frightening sight for those watching from the ground.

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As the Lufthansa jet began climbing, its nose pitched sharply upward. That movement sent the rear section of the fuselage dipping dangerously close to the runway.

The footage appeared to show only inches separating the aircraft’s tail from the ground. The massive jet’s landing gear remained extended as it gained altitude over the airport.

Despite the alarming angle, the video showed no obvious tail strike. The Boeing 747 successfully climbed away from LAX and prepared for another approach.

The aircraft was Lufthansa Flight LH 456, which had made the trip from Frankfurt to Southern California. Airline Videos Live recorded the sequence while its cameras were focused on Runway 24R in real time.

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The aircraft’s sheer size made the moment especially dramatic. The Boeing 747-8 is among the largest passenger planes ever built, measuring roughly 250 feet long and more than 60 feet tall.

Managing the pitch of an aircraft that large is particularly important during landing and takeoff. If the nose rises too sharply, the rear of the plane can hit the runway.

Such an event is known as a tail strike and can potentially damage the aircraft. In Saturday’s incident, however, the footage did not show an obvious strike as the Lufthansa jet pulled away.

The pilots’ decision to abandon the landing allowed the crew to climb rather than continue an approach that appeared to be running out of runway. The jet then gained altitude with its landing gear still visible beneath the aircraft.

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Go-around maneuvers are a standard aviation safety procedure. Pilots can use them when a landing attempt is unstable or otherwise unsuitable, allowing the aircraft to return for another try instead of forcing the approach.

Although the procedure is standard, it can look anything but routine to observers. That was particularly true with an aircraft as large as the Boeing 747 pitching upward while its tail appeared to hover just above the runway.

The incident also drew attention to the dwindling number of passenger jumbo jets remaining in service worldwide. Only around 50 Boeing 747s remain in airline fleets, according to the report.

Lufthansa operates more than half of the Boeing 747 passenger aircraft still flying. That makes the airline one of the most prominent remaining operators of the famous four-engine jumbo jet.

Airlines have increasingly moved toward smaller and more fuel-efficient aircraft powered by two engines. That industry shift has made the four-engine Boeing 747 an increasingly rare sight in commercial passenger service.

For those watching at LAX, however, the giant aircraft delivered a spectacle that was far from forgettable. There was no immediate indication in the report that Flight LH 456 sustained damage during the aborted landing.

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