Lufthansa Boeing 787 Incident at Frankfurt Airport

Several employees sustained injuries when the nose gear of a Lufthansa Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner collapsed at Frankfurt airport. The aircraft was parked at a gate, ready for a scheduled flight to Los Angeles. The incident occurred before passenger boarding, with only crew and ground staff on board. Consequently, the flight was canceled.

Lufthansa confirmed the injuries in a statement, noting that medical care is being provided. An investigation involving Lufthansa and relevant authorities is currently underway. The aircraft, delivered to Lufthansa in January, is a new addition to their fleet. According to Flightradar24, it has completed 137 flights since entering service in February.

Boeing acknowledged the situation, stating they are ‘aware of the incident’ and are providing support to Lufthansa. Video footage from the scene showed the aircraft’s nose sliding downwards, causing the front tip to crash a few meters. A nearby ground crew member moved quickly away. The nose gear bay doors broke off on impact.

Former U.S. federal aviation crash investigator Jeff Guzzetti described the nose gear collapse as ‘very unusual’ for a stationary aircraft. He emphasized it is premature to determine the cause. Investigators are examining potential factors like prior damage, mechanical failure, or maintenance issues. The plane’s maintenance history and system records will be scrutinized, along with flight data to assess past landing gear performance.

Guzzetti stated, ‘They’re going to look at every square inch of that nose landing gear strut and the mechanisms that operate it.’

A similar incident in 2021 at London’s Heathrow Airport involved a Boeing 787-8 undergoing maintenance. Its nose landing gear retracted during testing due to a misplaced locking pin, causing the nose to drop. This bypassed safeguards meant to keep the gear extended.

The 787 Dreamliner, a wide-body aircraft used for long-haul flights, first flew in 2011. The variant involved can carry up to 296 passengers, depending on its configuration. The 787 program has faced production and quality issues, impacting deliveries. Problems began in 2020 with gaps found in fuselage panels, leading to further inspections and issues with a pressurization bulkhead. Deliveries halted in May 2021 as U.S. regulators examined new plane documentation.

By June 2023, Boeing delayed 787 deliveries again to inspect fittings on the horizontal stabilizer after finding a ‘nonconforming condition.’ The issue did not pose a safety risk to planes already in operation, per Boeing’s statement.

Yamat, AP’s airlines and travel writer, provided this report from Las Vegas.