BERLIN — German airline Lufthansa says several employees were injured on Thursday after the nose gear of a Boeing jet “unexpectedly” retracted, causing the nose of the plane to fall several meters (yards) to the ground and breaking off the door flaps of the nose gear bay.
The incident took place while the 787-9 Dreamliner was parked at the gate, with only crew members and ground staff on board, before passengers were to board for a planned flight from Frankfurt to Los Angeles. The flight was later canceled.
“Several employees were injured and are currently receiving medical attention,” Lufthansa said, adding that it and relevant authorities were investigating the circumstances of the incident.
The 787-9 plane is a year old, according to flight-tracking website Flightradar24.
Boeing said Thursday in an emailed statement that it is “aware of the incident” and “supporting our customer.”
Video from the scene appeared to show the front wheels of the wide-body plane sliding forward and the plane’s nose falling down several meters (yards), as a ground crew member standing nearby quickly backed away.
The doors to the nose gear bay broke off upon impact.
A 2021 incident at London’s Heathrow Airport also involved the nose landing gear of a Boeing 787. According to a report by the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch, a 787-8 was undergoing maintenance at a gate when its nose landing gear retracted during testing, causing the aircraft’s nose to drop onto the pavement. Investigators found that a locking pin intended to prevent retraction had been inserted into the wrong position, allowing the gear to fold despite safeguards designed to keep it extended.
