Massive passenger airplane aborts landing on LAX runway

A massive Lufthansa Boeing 747 came perilously close to disaster during a dramatic landing attempt at LAX when the jumbo jet pitched sharply upward and its tail appeared to narrowly miss the runway.

The frightening moment unfolded Saturday afternoon as the four-engine aircraft, arriving from Frankfurt, Germany, attempted to land.

Footage captured by aviation enthusiasts at Airline Videos Live shows the enormous jet descending toward the runway with its landing gear extended before appearing to touch down farther along the tarmac than expected.

But the landing did not go as planned. Rather than continue the approach, the pilots aborted the landing and powered the aircraft back into the air in a maneuver known as a go-around.

As the jet climbed, its nose swung sharply upward, sending the rear of the fuselage dipping toward the ground in a heart-stopping moment that appeared to leave just inches between the tail and the runway.

The aircraft’s landing gear remained extended as it gained altitude over the airport.

Despite the alarming angle, the footage showed no obvious tail strike, and the massive plane successfully climbed away to prepare for another approach.

The incident involved Lufthansa Flight LH 456, which had traveled from Frankfurt to Southern California.

The dramatic sequence was captured by Airline Videos Live, whose cameras were trained on the busy airport as the aircraft approached Runway 24R in real time.

The Boeing 747-8 is among the largest passenger aircraft ever built, measuring roughly 250 feet long and more than 60 feet tall.

Its enormous size makes managing its pitch during landing and takeoff particularly important. If the nose rises too sharply, the rear of the aircraft can strike the runway — a potentially damaging incident known as a tail strike.

The decision to abandon the landing allowed the crew to climb away rather than continue an approach that appeared to be running out of runway.

Go-arounds are a standard safety procedure in aviation, allowing pilots to discontinue an unstable or otherwise unsuitable landing attempt and circle back for another try.

The maneuver can look dramatic to onlookers, particularly when performed by a jet as large as the 747.

The incident also highlights the dwindling number of passenger jumbo jets still flying worldwide.

Only around 50 Boeing 747s remain in airline fleets, with Lufthansa operating more than half of them.

Airlines have increasingly shifted toward smaller, more fuel-efficient twin-engine aircraft, leaving the four-engine 747 an increasingly rare sight in commercial passenger service.

There was no immediate indication in the report that the aircraft sustained damage during the aborted landing.

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