Overview
- The incident occurred at Frankfurt Airport on Thursday when the nose landing gear of a Lufthansa Boeing 787-9 (registration D-ABPQ) unexpectedly gave way while crew and ground staff were on board.
- Several employees were hurt and are receiving medical treatment; no passengers had boarded the aircraft before the collapse.
- Lufthansa cancelled flight LH450 to Los Angeles after the plane nosed down and sustained visible damage around the forward fuselage and nose-gear bay.
- Technicians, Lufthansa and German aviation authorities are conducting an on-site investigation and inspecting hydraulic, landing-gear and structural systems to determine cause and repair needs.
- Experts note that nose-gear failures are rare and that repairs to a 787 forward fuselage and gear attachment can be complex, so the jet—delivered earlier this year—is likely to be out of service for an extended period while investigators and Boeing assess next steps.