A Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 aborted its landing at Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday afternoon, pitching sharply upward in a go-around maneuver that brought its tail within inches of the runway.
The aircraft, operating as Flight LH 456 from Frankfurt, Germany, had descended toward Runway 24R with its landing gear extended when the pilots determined the approach was unsuitable and powered the jet back into the air. Aviation enthusiasts at Airline Videos Live captured the dramatic sequence in real time as the four-engine jumbo jet’s nose swung upward and the rear fuselage dipped toward the tarmac.
The footage shows the enormous aircraft, measuring roughly 250 feet long and more than 60 feet tall, touching down farther along the runway than expected before the crew initiated the standard safety procedure. Its landing gear remained extended as the 747 climbed away to prepare for another approach, and despite the alarming angle, no obvious tail strike occurred.
Go-arounds allow pilots to discontinue unstable landings and circle back for another attempt, though the maneuver can appear particularly dramatic when performed by one of the largest passenger aircraft ever built. Managing pitch during landing and takeoff is especially critical for the 747-8 given its size; if the nose rises too sharply, the tail can strike the runway in a potentially damaging incident.
There was no immediate indication the aircraft sustained damage during the aborted landing. The crew’s decision to abandon the approach allowed them to climb away rather than continue what appeared to be a landing running out of runway space.
The incident underscores the dwindling presence of passenger jumbo jets in commercial aviation. Only around 50 Boeing 747s remain in airline fleets worldwide, with Lufthansa operating more than half of them. Airlines have increasingly shifted toward smaller, more fuel-efficient twin-engine aircraft, making the four-engine 747 an increasingly rare sight at major international airports.