Lufthansa 747-8 aborts landing at Los Angeles, tail narrowly clears runway

Left · 2A Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 aborted its landing at Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday 10 October and performed a go-around, with video showing its tail close to the runway. 1 2 Mixed · 2The aircraft was Lufthansa flight LH 456 from Frankfurt. The Daily Mirror says it left at around 11am local time and eventually landed at around 1.45pm, about 30 minutes behind schedule. 1 3 Right · 1The New York Post, citing footage from the aviation channel Airline Videos Live, says the jet appeared to touch down farther along the runway than expected. It adds that the aircraft was approaching Runway 24R, and that the pilots then powered back into the air with the landing gear still extended. 3

Mixed · 2As the jet climbed, its nose pitched sharply up and the rear fuselage dipped toward the ground. The Mirror describes the tail as 'just inches' from the ground, and the Post describes the gap between tail and runway as 'just inches'. 1 3 Mixed · 2The Post says the footage showed no obvious tail strike and that there was no immediate indication of damage. The Mirror says the plane briefly touched the tarmac before pitching up, and CBS News says it 'barely avoided' striking its tail. 3 1 Right · 1The Post notes that go-arounds are a standard safety procedure used to abandon an unstable or unsuitable landing. It explains that a tail strike can occur when the nose rises too sharply on a large aircraft such as the 747-8. 3

Left · 1The Mirror said it had contacted Lufthansa for comment, and none of the coverage here includes a statement from the airline or an official cause. 1 Mixed · 2The coverage adds context. The Post says only around 50 passenger 747s remain in airline fleets, with Lufthansa operating more than half. The Mirror notes that Lufthansa Group suspended flights to Riyadh through 16 October after attacks reported there, which it presents as separate from the LAX incident. 3 1