This article was revised on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, to provide further details regarding the landing of the Lufthansa Boeing 747-8. It was initially published on Monday, October 12, 2026.
On Saturday, a Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 traveling from Frankfurt Airport (FRA) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) experienced a dramatic arrival in Southern California, coming perilously close to a tail strike during its landing. The concerning event was recorded by a planespotting livestream at the airport, prompting the widebody quadjet to execute a go-around and attempt a second landing at LAX.
This incident delayed its arrival in the City of Angels, and the subsequent return flight to Frankfurt also departed later than scheduled. Nevertheless, a swift transatlantic journey allowed for a timely arrival back in Germany the following day. Notably, this is not the first occasion that this particular flight has been associated with a noteworthy arrival at LAX, as previous coverage by Simple Flying has highlighted another notably turbulent landing attempt.
Tail Strike Concern During Lufthansa Boeing 747 Go Around
Lufthansa flight LH456 operates daily from Frankfurt to Los Angeles, with a scheduled departure at 10:40 AM and an expected arrival at 1:10 PM, totaling 11 hours and 30 minutes (all times are local). On October 10, despite a slight delay in departure at 11:18 AM, the flight appeared set for a relatively on-time arrival, initially landing at 1:18 PM. However, the situation took a dramatic turn.
As reported by The Mirror and captured on a planespotting livestream, the flight had to abort its landing and perform a go-around after sharply pitching upwards, bringing its tail within inches of the runway surface on 24R. After climbing away from LAX and circling back, it eventually landed at 1:33 PM, 15 minutes later. A spokesperson for Lufthansa informed Simple Flying that:
“LH456 executed a go-around on October 10 while approaching Los Angeles and landed safely on its second attempt. This is a standard procedure that has been well-rehearsed. Safety is always a top priority at Lufthansa.”
The Return Flight Departed Nearly An Hour Late
The aircraft involved in this concerning incident was a Boeing 747-8 with the registration D-ABYK. According to ch-aviation, it is 13.22 years old, having first taken flight in July 2013. It was delivered to Lufthansa a month later and currently features 244 economy, 32 premium economy, 80 business, and eight first-class seats. After successfully landing at LAX on the second attempt, it was quickly back in the air.
Although it came very close to a tail strike, with its tail not actually making contact with the runway surface at LAX, D-ABYK did not incur any damage that would necessitate Lufthansa to ground it for inspection and repairs. However, its return flight to Frankfurt, LH457, did depart nearly an hour late, at 4:00 PM local time instead of the scheduled 3:05 PM.
Despite this delay, it managed to make up time with a rapid transatlantic crossing, ultimately landing back in Frankfurt at 10:50 AM on Sunday, October 11, just ahead of its planned arrival at 11:00 AM local time. It did not operate any additional flights on Sunday, with its next scheduled departure being LH402 to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) on Monday, October 12, set to leave at 1:20 PM.
A Late Go-Around Increases The Risk Of A Tail Strike
A go-around initiated close to the ground or after the aircraft’s wheels have already touched down can be a risky maneuver, as it is typically executed when the aircraft has limited energy remaining. Tail strikes during landing usually result in more damage than those occurring during takeoff due to the greater downward forces involved.
The livestream footage indicates that the Boeing 747-8 floated above the runway longer than anticipated before its main landing gear made contact. This would have reduced the available runway length to bring the aircraft to a stop. At 8,926 feet (2,
Source: Original article
