Low Flying Heavy over Long Beach.

I was over in Long Beach watching a Volleyball Tournament today and also keeping an eye on the arrivals to the 31's. Around 3:45 I saw what looked to be an A340 coming in for 31L. What was odd about this approach was he was very low passing over Long Beach. It had to be less then 1000 Ft.. It looked like he was trying to gain altitude as it came over the beach. It didn't look like it was an emergency or anything like that as another aircraft which happend to be Habitat landed right after. For a few seconds there it didn't look like he was going to clear the Apartment buildings.

Anybody else see or hear anything about this?


Eric

I am suprised I missed it. I was coming out of my dirveway at about that time and I live about a stones throw from where you were. I did not see or hear it.

maybe the pilot was out of the glideslope

Could have been a busy day in the air, and ATC sent him lower to go under some other traffic, and then had him climb to back into the glidescope.

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Originally Posted by Phil D.

Could have been a busy day in the air, and ATC sent him lower to go under some other traffic, and then had him climb to back into the glidescope.

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I would give you a little lower, but this was much lower then any other approach. I would almost say he was a bit above GA level as it was approaching the beach. I lost sight of it as I was blocked by a building. It was trying to gain altitude. It was just the oddest thing to see. I had my camera around my neck and forgot to take a picture.

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Originally Posted by eric8669

I had my camera around my neck and forgot to take a picture.

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I'm shocked. You of all people, Eric. You gotta OWN it! haha

just checked Passur from 3:40-4:00 and the only 340 or 4 engine plane that came over Long Beach was LH 406 at at it was btw 1800 and 2000 ft.

LGA traffic passes over my house around 1600 feet pretty frequently and it that's pretty low...I can understand if an A340 passed over at 1800 that it seem even bigger and lower than it actually is.

saw the Lufthansa, that was not it. This aircraft appeared to come out of the South/Southwest and make a turn into final for 31L. 31L arrivals come in bit further down the beach from where I was and it was a bit difficult to see what aircraft type it was with sun in that direction.

Eric -

Maybe Putin's IL-96 crew was just more or less flying how they wanted to fly at that time and took a trip up/down the coast?

Tom