Boeing 747 Aborts Landing in Los Angeles After Dramatic Near-Tail Strike
A Boeing 747 flying from Frankfurt to Los Angeles was forced to abort its landing after a dramatic near-tail strike captured on camera, landing safely on a second attempt.
A botched landing attempt at Los Angeles International Airport forced the pilots of a Boeing 747 to abort and execute a go-around. The unusual incident occurred on Saturday during a flight from Frankfurt to California and was captured on camera by aviation enthusiasts.
Footage shows the aircraft, with its landing gear already touching the runway, lifting back into the sky while its tail pitched downward, appearing dangerously close to striking the tarmac. Despite the concerns, no tail strike was observed, and the aircraft successfully gained altitude before completing a safe landing on a subsequent attempt.
According to the Daily Mail, the maneuver was particularly striking given the sheer size of the Boeing 747, one of the largest passenger aircraft ever built. Measuring roughly 76 meters in length and over 18 meters in height, its dimensions require precise control of the pitch angle during takeoff and landing.
The aircraft is among the last remaining jumbo jets still in passenger service. Today, roughly 50 Boeing 747 passenger jets remain active worldwide, with Lufthansa operating over half of them as airlines gradually replace the iconic four-engine planes with more fuel-efficient twin-engine models.