Lufthansa 787 Nose Gear Collapses at Frankfurt Airport While Crew Onboard

A Lufthansa Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner suffered a nose landing gear collapse while parked at a gate at Frankfurt Airport, leaving the aircraft tilted forward on its nose with crew members onboard at the time of the incident.

The incident happened on June 4, 2026, while the widebody jet sat at its parking position. Photos from the scene show the front of the aircraft resting low to the ground, with the nose section pitched downward after the forward gear gave way.

Several crew members and ground personnel making preparations for the flight which was bound for Los Angeles sustained injuries and received medical treatment following the collapse, according to Lufthansa. No passengers were onboard at the time.

What Happened at the Gate

The aircraft was not in active flight operations when the collapse occurred. Ground teams were preparing the jet at its stand when the nose gear failed, dropping the forward fuselage onto the apron. The tail of the aircraft lifted upward as a result of the shift in weight.

Frankfurt Airport, operated by Fraport, is Lufthansa's main hub and one of the busiest airports in Europe. The affected parking position had to be cleared, and recovery teams began assessing how to safely lift the aircraft and move it for inspection.

Lufthansa has not yet shared a detailed explanation for what caused the gear to give way. Investigators are expected to determine whether mechanical, maintenance, or operational factors contributed to the collapse.

About the Aircraft

The jet involved is a Boeing 787-9, the larger of the two main Dreamliner variants flown by Lufthansa. The German flag carrier has been adding 787s to its long-haul fleet as part of an ongoing renewal of its widebody aircraft.

Lufthansa took delivery of its first 787-9 in 2022 and has continued to receive additional units since then. The type is used on routes across North America, Asia, and other long-haul destinations from Frankfurt and Munich.

Boeing's 787 program has faced scrutiny over various production and quality issues in recent years, though landing gear collapses on parked aircraft remain rare events for the type. The cause in this case has not been linked to any specific known issue with the Dreamliner.

Disruption at Frankfurt

The incident forced Lufthansa to remove the aircraft from service while engineers evaluate the damage. Repairs to a widebody jet after a nose gear collapse can be extensive, involving checks of the forward fuselage, avionics bay, and surrounding structure for stress damage.

Lufthansa canceled the scheduled flight and is expected to make alternative arrangements for affected passengers. Lufthansa operates a large widebody fleet at Frankfurt and typically has the flexibility to swap planes when one is taken out of service.

The gate where the incident occurred was taken out of use temporarily while crews worked on lifting and recovering the aircraft. Operations at the rest of the airport continued normally, with no broader impact on Frankfurt's flight schedule reported.

Past Nose Gear Incidents

Nose gear collapses on parked commercial aircraft happen occasionally across the industry. Causes have ranged from maintenance errors and improperly installed locking pins to hydraulic failures and ground equipment strikes. Each case requires a separate investigation to determine the root cause.

Today's incident brings attention back to a similar incident involving a British Airways 787-8, which suffered a nose gear collapse at London Heathrow Airport (LHR), whilst the aircraft was being prepared for its next flight. 

German aviation authorities are expected to look into the Lufthansa incident. The Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation, known by its German acronym BFU, typically reviews serious incidents involving commercial aircraft in Germany, even when no flight is in progress.

What Comes Next

Lufthansa will likely release more information once the aircraft has been moved and an initial inspection is complete. The carrier has not given a timeline for when the jet might return to service, and that will depend on the extent of damage uncovered during the inspection process.

For now, the airline's focus is on safely recovering the aircraft, clearing the gate, and protecting the crew members who were inside when the gear gave way.