Passengers waiting to fly from Frankfurt to Los Angeles on Thursday wound up watching an incident more suited to an accident report than a vacation slideshow, when a nearly new Lufthansa Boeing 787-9 abruptly tipped forward at the gate and came to rest on its nose.
The widebody jet was being prepared for departure when its nose landing gear suddenly collapsed, sending the front of the aircraft down and ripping off the doors of the nose-gear bay. Video of the moment raced across social media as airport emergency crews rushed to the stand.
"Several employees were injured and are currently receiving medical attention," Lufthansa said in a statement. The airline added that it is working with authorities to investigate what happened, according to The Associated Press. The scheduled service to Los Angeles, listed as flight LH450, was canceled after the mishap.
The aircraft involved, registration D-ABPQ, is one of Lufthansa's newest Boeing 787-9s. Aviation registries show it was delivered to the carrier in January and entered commercial service in February, leaving it with only a brief operational history so far, per Planespotters. Flight-tracking data indicated the airframe had completed only a modest number of rotations before sustaining Thursday's damage.
Scene at the stand and rapid response
Footage and local reports showed the jet's nose wheels sliding forward as the aircraft pitched down several yards, its forward fuselage ending up close to the ground. The impact tore away the nose-gear bay doors, according to Tagesschau.
Fraport, which operates Frankfurt Airport, told reporters the gear collapse occurred at about 12:45 p.m. local time. Airport emergency services moved in quickly to treat injured Lufthansa and ground-handling staff and to secure the gate area around the stricken 787.
Investigators probe rare nose-gear collapse
"It is very unusual for a nose landing gear to collapse while an aircraft is at a standstill," former U.S. federal aviation crash investigator Jeff Guzzetti told The Washington Post. He said investigators will need to dig into the aircraft's maintenance records and onboard system data before anyone can draw firm conclusions.
According to Guzzetti, possible explanations that investigators will consider range from preexisting damage or a mechanical failure to maintenance errors. For now, officials are keeping their conclusions parked until they have hard evidence.
Dreamliner scrutiny and a past Heathrow mishap
The Boeing 787 program has repeatedly come under the microscope over production and quality-control concerns since the type entered airline service. Regulators have previously examined incidents in which 787 nose gear retracted while aircraft were on the ground.
In one high-profile case in June 2021 at London Heathrow, the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch looked into a 787 that dropped onto its nose when the gear retracted during parking. Investigators found an incorrectly installed downlock pin had allowed the nose gear to fold. The AAIB's bulletin underscored how the design of components and pin-installation procedures can leave room for human error, according to the AAIB.
Next steps for Lufthansa and the grounded jet
German aviation authorities, together with Lufthansa's technical teams, are now tasked with a detailed inspection of the damaged Dreamliner. They are expected to remove the aircraft from the stand and subject it to extensive structural and systems checks before any decision is made about repairs or a return to service, as reported by The Washington Post.
Boeing has acknowledged it is aware of the incident and is supporting Lufthansa's efforts. Until the jet is inspected and cleared, it will remain grounded, and the sudden loss of a long-haul widebody is likely to ripple through Lufthansa's transatlantic schedule out of Frankfurt in the coming days.
