A Lufthansa Boeing 747-8i narrowly avoided scraping its tail on the runway at Los Angeles International Airport after pilots aborted the landing attempt and executed a go-around.
Dramatic footage shows the aircraft descending toward the runway, briefly touching the tarmac, and then pitching up sharply to climb away. The tail appeared to come within inches of striking the ground.
Flight details
The incident occurred on flight LH 456, which departed Frankfurt am Main in Germany at around 11am local time on Saturday. The aircraft eventually landed in California at approximately 1.45pm local time, about 30 minutes behind its scheduled arrival.
Lufthansa Airlines has been contacted for comment on the incident. The carrier is part of Lufthansa Group, a German company that also owns the national carriers of Switzerland, Austria, and Italy.
Aircraft background
Lufthansa has operated the Boeing 747 for more than 50 years. The Boeing 747-8 is the latest passenger variant of the wide-body aircraft, commonly known as the Jumbo Jet.
The Boeing 747-8 is approximately 5.6 metres longer than earlier 747s, making it one of the longest passenger aircraft in service. It also features redesigned wings and General Electric engines that use technologies developed for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Related flight suspensions
The incident follows Lufthansa and other airlines temporarily suspending flights to Saudi Arabia's capital, Riyadh, after attacks were reported on Thursday. More than 275 flights were cancelled on Thursday at King Khalid International Airport, according to flight monitor FlightAware. The cancellations accounted for 40 per cent of scheduled arrivals and 30 per cent of scheduled departures.
Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighbouring Yemen claimed responsibility for the latest attack on Riyadh's airport. Lufthansa Group said its airlines will suspend flights to Riyadh through October 16 "due to current developments in the Middle East." The Indian Embassy in Riyadh said in a series of posts on X that several Indian airlines had also suspended services.
