04.06.2026 20:31
A Lufthansa Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner passenger aircraft at Frankfurt Airport in Germany collapsed onto its nose on the apron while parked at the jet bridge before a Los Angeles flight, due to the folding of the front landing gear. No passengers had yet boarded the aircraft, but some crew members and ground personnel were injured, and a baggage vehicle was trapped under the fuselage. The new aircraft, which had been in service since January, sustained heavy damage due to a technical malfunction, and Lufthansa established a crisis team to launch an investigation.
A strange and frightening accident occurred at Frankfurt Airport, one of Germany's busiest airports. A Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner passenger aircraft, registered as "D-ABTL" and named "Herne," belonging to the Lufthansa fleet, suddenly collapsed its nose gear while parked at the gate at Terminal 1, preparing for a flight to Los Angeles. The nose hit the apron at high speed, causing serious damage to the aircraft, and some personnel on board were injured at the time of the incident.
FUSELAGE FELL ONTO BAGGAGE VEHICLE
After the accident, confirmed by Lufthansa and airport operator Fraport, numerous fire trucks, ambulances, and emergency teams were dispatched to Terminal 1. Initial images posted online showed the aircraft's nose suddenly moving downward, with the front landing gear folding forward and some parts breaking off.
Due to the force of the collapse, a baggage loading vehicle waiting next to the fuselage was crushed under the aircraft's nose. It is also considered possible that the aircraft's massive engines may have touched the ground and sustained damage.
PASSENGERS HAD NOT YET BOARDED: CREW AND GROUND STAFF INJURED
In an initial statement from Lufthansa, it was reported that the aircraft was preparing for its flight to Los Angeles, but fortunately, passenger boarding had not yet begun. While a major disaster was narrowly avoided, it was announced that some crew members and ground service personnel conducting preparations inside and around the aircraft were injured at the time of the incident. Emergency response teams were activated to treat the injured.
WAS RECENTLY PUT INTO SERVICE: CRISIS DESK ESTABLISHED
It was learned that the "Herne" Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner involved in the accident was quite new and had been actively used in scheduled flights within Lufthansa only since mid-January.
Lufthansa announced that an emergency crisis desk was established at the airport following the technical scandal. A comprehensive investigation has been launched by civil aviation authorities and Boeing engineers into why the front landing gear of the aircraft, which was only a few months old, suddenly collapsed.