An El Al Boeing 777-200 came within seconds of a serious accident on approach into Tel Aviv, descending to just 600 feet while badly misaligned with the runway before the crew abandoned the landing and climbed away for a second attempt.
The aircraft eventually landed safely, but the low altitude at which the go around began has drawn attention to how the approach into Tel Aviv unfolded.
A Visual Approach Goes Off Track at Tel Aviv Airport
The aircraft involved, registration 4X-ECF, was operating flight LY324 from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Tel Aviv.
The crew had been cleared for a visual approach to Tel Aviv’s runway 30, a procedure that depends on the pilots visually identifying the runway and flying an accurate path toward it rather than following full instrument guidance all the way to touchdown.
Rather than tracking the correct approach path, the crew turned the Boeing 777 onto a final approach trajectory that ran roughly one nautical mile north of the actual approach track to runway 30.
That lateral offset left the aircraft heading toward Tel Aviv on a course that did not line up with the runway it intended to land on.
Descending Toward Six Hundred Feet
The misaligned approach continued as the 777 pressed on toward Tel Aviv.
The aircraft descended to around 600 feet above the ground while still displaced from the correct track, a height at which an aircraft is normally only moments from touchdown.
At that point the crew recognised that the aircraft was not correctly positioned for landing and initiated a go around, climbing away from the runway instead of continuing the approach.
That decision, taken so close to the ground, turned what could have become a serious accident into a go around and a second attempt at Tel Aviv.
A Safe Landing Twenty Minutes Later
After the go around, the crew repositioned the Boeing 777 at 4000 feet and set up for another approach to runway 30 at Tel Aviv.
This time the aircraft tracked the approach correctly, and it touched down safely on runway 30 around 20 minutes after the initial go around.
Flight tracking data for LY324 shows the full sequence, including the offset first approach and the corrected second attempt into Tel Aviv.
The Aircraft Behind Flight LY324 to Tel Aviv…
The Boeing 777 involved is a long serving member of El Al’s fleet.
Registration 4X-ECF, named Kiryat Shmona, carries manufacturer serial number 36084 and line number 655.
Built as a 777-258ER, it first flew on 1 August 2007 and was delivered new to El Al Israel Airlines on 18 August 2007, making it just over 19 years old at the time of the Tel Aviv incident.
The aircraft is powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent 892-17 engines and was produced at Boeing’s Everett facility.
It flies in a three class configuration seating 28 in business, 32 in premium, and 253 in economy, and operates within El Al’s fleet as aircraft number 106.
The airframe remains active and has previously flown under other registration configurations during its time in service.
What We Know So Far
The available flight data confirms the sequence of events on the approach into Tel Aviv, from the offset final approach and the descent to 600 feet through the go around, the repositioning at 4000 feet, and the safe landing on runway 30 around 20 minutes later.
No further detail on what caused the initial misalignment has been made public at this stage.
The incident is a reminder that even a routine visual approach into a busy airport like Tel Aviv can develop into a serious situation within seconds, and that a timely go around remains one of the most effective safeguards available to an airline crew.
The Aviation Hub will update this report as more information becomes available.
