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A Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 returned to Chicago O'Hare International Airport on August 13 after the crew reported an issue with the aircraft's landing gear shortly after departure. The flight, operating as LH431 from Chicago to Frankfurt, departed nearly an hour late at 16:52 but was forced to abort its transatlantic journey and return to its origin.
After taking off, the aircraft stopped its climb at 6,000 feet due to the problem and entered a series of holding patterns over Lake Michigan. This maneuver was likely performed to reduce fuel weight before attempting a safe landing back at O'Hare. The jet landed on runway 10C approximately 75 minutes after leaving Chicago. Runway 10C is one of eight runways at O'Hare, which has more runways than any other airport worldwide.
According to Flightradar24 data, the specific aircraft involved was registered as D-ABYH. Social media posts suggested that the landing gear failed to retract after takeoff and that emergency vehicles met the plane upon arrival. There were also unconfirmed reports of a possible wing issue.
