A dramatic video was shared online showing a 737 aircraft struggling to land at Los Angeles International Airport amid a heavy rainstorm and strong winds.
On Tuesday night, passengers aboard a Southwest flight from St. Louis faced turbulence as the plane approached LAX, buffeted by gusting winds from a winter storm.
Footage captured the aircraft lowering its landing gear and attempting to descend before the winds intensified, prompting the pilot to execute a go-around.
Live streaming from The H Hotel Los Angeles, located near LAX, offered a clear view of the chaotic situation.
The plane ultimately landed safely, but not without incident. One viewer commented that their flight from Hawaii experienced unprecedented turbulence during landing at LAX, calling it the worst they had ever faced.
“I returned from HNL on Hawaiian Airlines,” the commenter recounted. “The turbulence lasted three hours before we finally landed.” They noted the distress among fellow passengers, mentioning that some were vomiting and screaming during the ordeal but were relieved to have landed without further issues.
Another individual shared their experience, labeling it “the worst landing of my life,” although it was unclear if they were on the same Southwest flight. They described the storm as severe, humorously noting that umbrellas would have likely been of no use.
The commenter reflected on their landing experience, stating, “It made me reconsider everything. It felt like reversal might be a genuine possibility.”
The FAA was contacted to determine how many flights were affected by the storm and required to change flight paths or go around. They clarified that decisions regarding go-arounds are left to pilots based on safety considerations.
“A go-around is a standard procedure performed at the pilot’s discretion or by air traffic control request,” the FAA explained.
However, they did not provide specific data on the number of flights that were diverted or made go-arounds at LAX that evening. LAX had not replied to inquiries related to this matter at the time of publication.
