Aviation Photo #1078027 Boeing 747-406 - KLM - Royal Dutch Airlines

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Aircraft

KLM - Royal Dutch Airlines
Boeing 747-406

Reg.: PH-BFG

MSN: 24517

Line No.: 782

Code: FG-003

Location & Date

Philipsburg / St. Maarten - Princess Juliana (SXM / TNCM)
St. Maarten - July 2, 2006

Caption

KLM 785 from Amsterdam sends the fence huggers to their knees as it makes an extremely low pass over Maho Beach just before a very early touchdown on runway 09.

Photographer

Chris Starnes

784 USA

Contact Chris Starnes

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Distinct Views: 1,164,079
Photo Added: July 19, 2006

Comments (170)

Anonymous

16 years ago

Great shot at the exact moment! Congratulations! Zazá

Anonymous

16 years ago

Oh my god. Talk about Low! Great picture!!

Anonymous

16 years ago

Oh my god! I've never seen a picture of such impending dramatic contact!

Anonymous

16 years ago

This is too low! Looks scary - the main landing gear could kill spotters near fence.

Anonymous

16 years ago

When you look at the distance from the outer fence to where the 747 is about to touch down there is only seconds in time in it. This is certainly a one off photo as well as a one off landing. I am not sure that where the 747 is landing is designed to take the weight as this appears to be the apron not the main runway.

Anonymous

16 years ago

Way to go, Chris! This was a very unusually low approach and you nailed it! I would've screwed this up somehow- Daniel P.

Anonymous

16 years ago

Whow, the "fence huggers" must have been shocked!

Anonymous

16 years ago

Makes you wonder if the pilot community places bets with each other to see who can have the lowest pass over Maho beach. Just...wow. Good catch.

Anonymous

16 years ago

WoW, that is way too early!!

Anonymous

16 years ago

You can almost feel the fear of the two persons at the fence.. Anyway great pick. But from what I have learned you are not supposed to land on those yellow arrows.. T/0 is ok but not landing..

Anonymous

16 years ago

Congrats on a great photo - probably will go down as one of the best on a.net

Anonymous

16 years ago

Talk about early touchdown! I'm surprised that thing didn't clip the fence!

Anonymous

16 years ago

Wow! Not something you see every day! Maybe it's time for an ILS at SXM...glideslope help, anyone?

Anonymous

16 years ago

Wow. nice pic. I can see the people by the fence ducking in cover. With the plane on the ground that early, I'm surprized it didn't take out the fence.

Anonymous

16 years ago

That's awesome! How much closer could it get. Seems like there's very little room for error. The guys on the beach must have got a real rush before having to change their shorts.

Anonymous

16 years ago

Even for SXM that approach seems rather low...

Anonymous

16 years ago

Just a fantastic photo. Love the people ducking at the fence line!

Anonymous

16 years ago

Those fense huggers are sure in for it.

Anonymous

16 years ago

This is an amazing photo. Can you please post photos of this event taken a few moments earlier?

Anonymous

16 years ago

Just an amazing shot no words about it

Anonymous

16 years ago

Kool landing

Anonymous

16 years ago

Good photo - love the way all those people are crouching and holding on to the fence for their lives.

Anonymous

16 years ago

WOW now thats extreme!!! wish i were there! Great shot.

Anonymous

16 years ago

This has to be one of the most amazing pictures ever.

Anonymous

16 years ago

Wow! That is close! Those people at the fence probably got quite a blast of jet wash. Passerengers looking out the windows must have wondered whether they were going to touch down on the runway or not!

Anonymous

16 years ago

Nice shot Chris its at flareheight 5 stars

Anonymous

16 years ago

Wow, that's an amazing shot! I love SXM heavy shots, but this one tops them all! Look at the spectators along the fence...that's insane. Is it just the angle, or did they really touch down on the blast pad/displaced threshold?

Anonymous

16 years ago

Wow thats low!

Anonymous

16 years ago

Just one Word, AMAZING dude

Anonymous

16 years ago

Holy cow!!That'll teach those fence huggers a thing or two!Most thrilling for all including the paxs.Remarkable shot.Congrat's Chris.

Anonymous

16 years ago

What a low approach, just great

Anonymous

16 years ago

WOW that`s extreme

Anonymous

16 years ago

Just amazing, great capture really thrilling.

Anonymous

16 years ago

There are a lot of shots of planes landing on this beach airport, this angle really shows how close you have to bring it in.

Anonymous

16 years ago

An excellent landing at the earliest possible spot on the runway and a great livery/aircraft combo in front of a beautiful color background. Also, I do love the fence huggers diving for cover.

Anonymous

16 years ago

Hmmm, a threshold landing.
I hope some one takes a photo when the landing gears rips the fense down....

Anonymous

16 years ago

Amazing photo, that is LOW.

Anonymous

16 years ago

A unique photo. Landing almost in a backyard

Anonymous

16 years ago

Ok, for all I know, the aircraft touched down within the tdz. It's a great photo, but it doesn't actually tell any information about the descent rate of the aircraft (not that it should)... he still came in too low, because there's no way a 3 degree path will take you that low!

Anonymous

16 years ago

OW DAMN! I really admire those fencehuggers right there. To think that an airplane like that always floats "a bit" before touch-down, it must have seemed like the airplane was gonna hit the dirt rather then even making in over the fence. Then again you might only notice that it was lower then usual in a too short of a time to run...

Anonymous

16 years ago

Thank you for the photo!

Anonymous

16 years ago

Great shot man, i dont think i have seen a better photo at SXM. Looks like the boys had some fun showing off, hope no one was hurt (people by fence).

Anonymous

16 years ago

Extremely real low!! T.B.

Anonymous

16 years ago

I must say that I had had enough of pictures from St. Maarten until I saw this one. This is definitely the best picture ever taken so far at this location (very clear, at the right time and very dramatic) Well, the best picture until somebody posts a picture of the same situation but taken from the beach (that would be one hell of a photo!!)

Anonymous

16 years ago

Holy crap man dude this picture is amazing, this is my first time seeing plane landing so early out.

Anonymous

16 years ago

Fantastic Shot, I Love It

Anonymous

16 years ago

Can´t be much earlyer! Have to see this place, even ones on my life. I think, I may love Princess Juliana. (from EFHF/DO)

Anonymous

16 years ago

Either the captain or f/o landing her had to have been ex-Navy fighter jocks thinking they were landing on a carrier! (lol)

Anonymous

16 years ago

Great pic

Anonymous

16 years ago

Dear guys at the fence!!! When you read this PLEASE write down how it feels, when you nearly get crushed by a 747....

Anonymous

16 years ago

Terrific shot!
This is what I call by low pass!
Awesome job Chris, with a lot of luck, huh?
Regards
Letnar

Anonymous

16 years ago

It must have been a great moment for those guys at the fence.. i wish i was there :P

Anonymous

16 years ago

Brilliant!

Anonymous

16 years ago

There is another photo of this landing from a different angle. It appears this 747-400 did touchdown at the end of the displaced threshold! Amazing photo!!

Anonymous

16 years ago

Imagine you werer on the beach at that moment....

Anonymous

16 years ago

Superb shot! The pilots did a great job scaring the people at the fence. Cheers guys!. To see the sandstorm on the beach, take a look at <a href=https://www.airliners.net/open.file/1078774/L>this</a> one!

Anonymous

16 years ago

I just wish i was there man.

Anonymous

16 years ago

That poor bastard crouched down behind the fence must have thought his world was about to end!! Gvien that the base of the tail appears to be about 10-15 feet above the fence as it passes, can anyone venture a guess as to how much the main gear missed the fence by?

Anonymous

16 years ago

GREAT SHOT! I'd love to see that place sometime...

Anonymous

16 years ago

That must be a very thrilling experience for those fence huggers. I wonder what the view is like from down there.

Anonymous

16 years ago

An amazing shot! There is another photo on here of this same landing shot from a different angle which clearly shows this KLM 747-400 landing at the end of the undershoot/displaced threshold!

Anonymous

16 years ago

Dreams hang in the air certainly breath-taking

Anonymous

16 years ago

I was in St. Maarten in 2003 and believe me... it f*cking hurts when you sit on the beach and a Jumbo lands right behind you. It's like a sandstorm!

Anonymous

16 years ago

It must be a short runway

Anonymous

16 years ago

GREAT PICTURE!! but hey! watch out! some 100 meters short and it would have changed from a good picture to a terrible accident!

Anonymous

16 years ago

Must be warm sitting behind all that jet blast.

Anonymous

16 years ago

Excelent!

Anonymous

16 years ago

As a pilot, we are trained from the begining to touch-down on or beyond the piano keys....not scare the crap out of the surfers in the combie van on the boundary road.

Anonymous

16 years ago

Watch Out! 747-400 is coming!!! Excellent Pic!

Anonymous

16 years ago

A few months ago I had no knowledge of Airliners.net. Since becoming aware of the website, I have come to the conclusion, based on pictures such as this, that I must travel to St. Maarten and experience this airport first hand.

Thanks for the terrific photo! I can't wait to take a few myself!

Anonymous

16 years ago

Crazy Dutch!Great photo!i wonder what's the feeling when you have a 747 few meters above your head!

Anonymous

16 years ago

An amazing shot probably the best ever at SXM! There is another photo of this landing from a different angle and it appears this KLM 747 did land on the undershoot/displaced threshold. There is no way the pilots planned to land that shot. One of my favorites of all time!

Anonymous

16 years ago

Click on the registration PH-BFG to see this scene from another viewing angle!

Anonymous

16 years ago

The other photo of this landing states this 747 did land before the piano keys - hence the displaced threshold! Great photo nonetheless!

Anonymous

16 years ago

No professional pilot aims to land on the piano keys let alone before them. The aiming point is your target nearly every time or just before. I appreciate that SXM is fairly short for heavies but this was not a safe landing. As a professional pilot my captain would roast me for doing this! Do they have PAPI's or VASI's at SXM? My guess is not! She is barely over the fence and she's already flaring! Absolutely incredible!!

Anonymous

16 years ago

Nice shot!

Anonymous

16 years ago

Terrific. This picture could spell "violation" for the pilots, however. It is clear they are touching down in the underun which is not stressed for landing or takeoff. I'd like to see if the pavement is damaged, which it most certainly is.

Anonymous

16 years ago

I've never seen a shot like this. You caught it not only mere feet from the runway, but this pilot could not have landed any shorter. Nice job.

Anonymous

16 years ago

In the right place at the right time! Great angle, and crisp image!

Anonymous

16 years ago

Wow! Many of us have seen pictures taken at this airfield, but I've never seen one quite like this. I cannot imagine how those railbirds were feeling, or what the jet blast must have been like.

Anonymous

16 years ago

I bet the guy crouching behind the fence is saying "Anyone know where my hat went??"

Great shot Chris. Must have been great to watch in person.

Anonymous

16 years ago

Wow-not a good decision on this pilots part

Anonymous

16 years ago

This has got to be the world's BEST place for spotting and Chris has captured an amazing pic of this KLM which must have passed over the fence by a whisker! Great shot indeed. I LOVE these SXM pics.
Keep them coming!!

Anonymous

16 years ago

What an amazing picture ! Great !

Anonymous

16 years ago

WOW!!! What an amazing shot! I'd been there in Maho Beach & can't imaging such a low approach.

Anonymous

16 years ago

I think it is a stuning picture of the 747

Anonymous

16 years ago

Those yellow chevrons incidate an underrun. This area is never to be used for taxi, takeoff, or landing. If there were arrows pointing to the threshold (piano keys) it would be usable for takeoff only. Pilots MUST land beyond the piano keys, always. Bad decision on their part - likely damage to the asphalt, but great photo!!!

Anonymous

16 years ago

Now now..... most airports have the luxury of longer runways, so landing beyond thresholds is not an option. However SXM has not that luxury and i'm quite sure the asphalt where that plane touches down is not of inferior quality to the rest of the runway. After all, being able to accomodate such large birds is good for tourism and the cost of the extra asphalt is nothing to it. Probably the guys who built SXM know better than us, don't you think?

Anonymous

16 years ago

I can't believe somebody got this shot! This was the day i arrived in SXM few hours earlier and that is me running away at the fence. I was standing there waiting to get a good picture with 2 other guys. As the plane was just over the beach i saw it coming too low so i took off running and as you can see i'm almost about ready to jump over the guard rail. Never got the pic.

Anonymous

16 years ago

Wow

Anonymous

16 years ago

Aircraft: good drama on short landing; human: "fence-huggers" had obvious thrill/scare; photo: sharp, well-composed, and depth-of-field adds to shot -- all work together: bravo!

Anonymous

16 years ago

Am I right in thinking this airport has no automatic landing system? i have seen no other airport with an approach like this only other approach thats just as exciting i can think of is Gibraltar lovely photo.

Anonymous

16 years ago

There's a "moment" to remember forever - great shot, great timing!

Anonymous

16 years ago

Great pic!! =)

Anonymous

16 years ago

Excellent shot- how did it even make it over the fence!!!!????

Anonymous

16 years ago

Absolutly 5 stars. wonderful shot!

Anonymous

16 years ago

Just an amazing shot,what a beautiful picture of everything.

Anonymous

16 years ago

Whhhoooo weeee rock 'n roll

love to have been there

Greetings all from Melbourne, Australia

Anonymous

16 years ago

Wow, what a great shot

Anonymous

16 years ago

It made you have to duck. I lived by O'Hare and never had to do that.

Anonymous

16 years ago

No where else in the world could you get skid marks on your head! :-)

Anonymous

16 years ago

Good clarity, outstanding photo.

Anonymous

16 years ago

Great action! B.

Anonymous

16 years ago

Such a beauty!! WOW!!!!
thanks for sharing!!!

Anonymous

16 years ago

Great Picture. I have a house in St.Maarten. It is really an amazing sight to see!!

Anonymous

16 years ago

Nice picture

Anonymous

16 years ago

Really nice

Anonymous

16 years ago

Thanks for the awesome pic. Perfect shot. I sure want to go there someday.

Anonymous

16 years ago

Wow thats nice!!!

Anonymous

16 years ago

Amazing photo. I wish I was the guy croutching down at the fence getting the jet blast!

Anonymous

16 years ago

Mamma Mia! How much is it to go there?? I will!!!!! To see this bird land is just thrilling!!!!!!

Anonymous

16 years ago

That is close, we dont even see the piano keys yet,probably just cleared the fence by a couple meters or less, nice shot thanks for sharing.

Anonymous

16 years ago

Nice one...great job!!

Anonymous

16 years ago

Jesus,this guy was too low!..But the picture is really something!! My congraz!

Anonymous

16 years ago

Looking at these pictures makes me go this place!

Anonymous

16 years ago

What a crasy Landing, Nice shot and i wish i could be there......

Anonymous

16 years ago

Awesome shot

Anonymous

16 years ago

Very nice Photo....

Anonymous

16 years ago

Nice

Anonymous

16 years ago

Absolutely amazing. What a great catch!

Anonymous

16 years ago

What a great shot! Absolutely amazing!!

Anonymous

16 years ago

I can hear the GPWS yelling "terrain, terrain", "pull up, pull up"! If you look closely will be able to see some costumer's hat! Thumbs up!

Anonymous

15 years ago

Just...! Fantastic shot and well captured. No piano keys in sight!

Anonymous

15 years ago

Congratulations, pick is marbelius

Anonymous

15 years ago

All the pilots that land at this airport in this type of airplane are the best. This runway is too short for making soft landings... very nice picture thank you!!

Anonymous

15 years ago

Ja wel, That is the flying dutchmen for you, damn good flying but they are used to it, these pilots. Keep it safe guys and keep it going I will be flying with you again

Anonymous

15 years ago

Great shot, the 3 men in boarder are sheet in ground!! it´s a big mounster

Anonymous

15 years ago

Landing planes are challenging. Landing big planes at Princess Juliana makes it even more challenging; and there is nothing better than seeing the crew of this KLM B744 doing it so perfectly.

Anonymous

15 years ago

Seen loads of photos and video's of this place and they are all bonkers! Must go there one day!

Anonymous

15 years ago

What a landing shot.I love this place hope to go there soon.Its a 5 star shot

Anonymous

15 years ago

This is really one of my favourite photo's on A.net. Especially if you know that this landing is prohibited: I know from internal sources at KLM that these pilots had to explain theirselfs at their manager after this landing got public.

Anonymous

15 years ago

If that was a PanAm plane it would be named Clipper of the Fence. (It barely missed it.)

Anonymous

15 years ago

Great picture!

Anonymous

15 years ago

Purely amazing!!!

Anonymous

15 years ago

OK he definitely won the lowest approach of the year award by a heavy. Too bad for the passengers , they had no idea how their final looked from the outside!

Anonymous

14 years ago

You caght the right moment. I have seen your work and I vow to it!!

Anonymous

14 years ago

Hah... bet it was a double-dare

Anonymous

14 years ago

Very nice picture ! I would like to be at the fence !!!

Anonymous

14 years ago

Holy cow!
Acording to the Aeronautical Manual those yellow stripes mean than that part of the runway shouldn't be used at any time, but MY GOD that pilot has guts, and the picture is amazing.
Congratulations!!!!!

Anonymous

14 years ago

Wow, Nice Shot!, You Can See A Man Croched Behind The Fence, I Bet He Got Abit Of A Shock!, Close Call For The Pilot! If Anyone Has Tried Landing A Plane They Will Know Its Hard. But, Any Landing You Can Walk Away From Is A Good Landing, And The Passengers Wont Have A Clue Whats Going On, Unless Your Into Aviation! :D But Great Shot 5/5*

Anonymous

14 years ago

Amazing Photo

Anonymous

14 years ago

Wow, this photo is incredible!! I'd bet the fence guys felt this wasn't fun for a couple of seconds....congrats !!

Anonymous

14 years ago

Amazing.. i would love to got there

Anonymous

14 years ago

Woooow. i am surprised nobody grabbed the gear, lol.
:-). No I mean really nice position. Very nice picture.

Anonymous

14 years ago

Very good job!

Anonymous

14 years ago

I was just at Maho for the first time today. This photo pretty much sums it up!

Anonymous

14 years ago

Amazing approach! But really, that KLM pilot almost hit the fence and it seems he touched over the runway Chevrons (those yellow arrows). For those who know, the chevrons are a part of the runway used on emergency conditions, and it's pavement is kind of "soft", what makes the gear of the airplane sink in the pavement. This helps when the airplane aborts a take-off and needs to stop faster.
Anyway, an AMAZING shot!
WOOOP, WOOOP - Terrain, Terrain - PULL UP! Hahahaha!

Anonymous

13 years ago

It never ceases to amaze me that Boeing 747-400's can touchdown in very cramped spaces as such runway 09. And even more amazing are the extremely low passes these behemoths make over Maho Beach. I have to visit this beach someday before I die...it's a great place for plane-watching

Anonymous

13 years ago

Great timing and composition

Anonymous

13 years ago

747-400, god of technology!!!

Anonymous

13 years ago

Incredible photo, I wish I were near the fence !

Anonymous

13 years ago

So sad, KLM has changed the aircraft coming here to an A330.

Anonymous

13 years ago

Superb. Period. The pilots too. The photographer must be awarded for making such attracting photo for tourists, therefore, income for the island. Don't forget about the pilots, too! I need to go there!

Anonymous

13 years ago

Woooooooooooooow!!.. Just AWESOME!!!!....

Anonymous

13 years ago

THIS photo should be the number 1 photo on A.net.

Anonymous

12 years ago

Catches the plane very well

Anonymous

12 years ago

The tail almost hit the fence :)

Anonymous

12 years ago

Thats just incredible!
Imagine the sound if you were there ducking at the fence.... it kind of blows your head away...

Anonymous

12 years ago

Very brave people at the fence.

Anonymous

12 years ago

Would be nice to mark the touching point, and to see who gets closer. At what speed is the plane passing?

Anonymous

12 years ago

Reminds me of the movie Pushing Tin... wonder if those guys got thrown by the jetwash

Anonymous

12 years ago

'Dare Devils' behind the fence! - What would it take then to scare those punks away? Cool Foto though!!! doubleC MW

Anonymous

12 years ago

How did this bird manage to pass above the fence at speed of about 160 and seem to touch down on the chevrons? XXX

Anonymous

11 years ago

Time to review the meaning of the yellow chevrons.

Anonymous

11 years ago

Beautiful bird still makes her presence known, hence the cowering fence huggers :)

Anonymous

11 years ago

THE place to go and THE thing to see before you die (:

Anonymous

11 years ago

This is the lowest approach i have seen in 4 years. Thumbs up to the cameraman and the pilot

Anonymous

11 years ago

I think the pilot has it backwards...you land between the piano keys....not the chevrons lol. Awesome pic!

Anonymous

10 years ago

One of my all time favourite shot at Anet... But I guess the captain had some explaining to do after this landing. The touchdown was way before the runway threshold.