A Lufthansa Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner unexpectedly tipped onto its nose while parked at a gate at Frankfurt Airport on Thursday, injuring several staff members and forcing the cancellation of a scheduled transatlantic flight. The incident occurred at 12:45 p.m. local time on 5 June 2026, just before passengers were due to board flight LH450 to Los Angeles. According to Lufthansa, the aircraft’s nose landing gear suddenly retracted while the jet was stationary at the gate, causing the front of the widebody aircraft to drop several metres onto the tarmac and breaking off the nose gear bay doors.
Cabin crew and ground staff were on board at the time and several sustained light injuries, with two Lufthansa employees taken to hospital for treatment and later released the same day. No passengers had boarded yet, and no one on the ground outside the aircraft was hurt. Emergency vehicles quickly surrounded the Dreamliner, and video circulating online showed the jet’s nose dipping sharply as a nearby ground crew member backed away from the collapsing gear.
Lufthansa said experts were immediately on site inspecting the aircraft and that it would be moved to a hangar for further checks and repairs. The airline is working with the relevant authorities to investigate the exact circumstances of the collapse. The German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation has opened a probe, with an interim report expected in about eight weeks. The damaged jet, registered D-ABPQ, is only one year old and was delivered to Lufthansa in January 2026, operating its first commercial service in February.
Boeing said it is aware of the incident and supporting its customer, while aviation analysts noted that nose gear collapses while an aircraft is stationary are very unusual and could involve prior damage, a mechanical failure, or maintenance issues. A similar nose gear retraction occurred on a Boeing 787-8 during maintenance at London Heathrow in 2021, when investigators found a locking pin had been inserted incorrectly. Flight LH450 to Los Angeles was cancelled and passengers were rebooked, as Lufthansa continues to assess the aircraft before returning it to service.
