Lufthansa Boeing 787 nose landing gear collapses at Frankfurt Airport
The front landing gear of a Lufthansa Boeing 787 has collapsed while parked at Frankfurt Airport in Germany.
Video footage from the airport shows the aircraft parked on a stand when the nose landing gear abruptly retracts, sending the front of the plane crashing to the ground.
A Lufthansa Boeing 787-9 sustained serious damage after its landing gear collapsed during loading at Frankfurt Airport. pic.twitter.com/V99xzZ8etl
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) June 4, 2026
The airline and airport have not yet released a statement regarding the damage to the aircraft or whether any injuries were sustained.
Brand new Lufthansa 787 suffers damage after nose gear collapse
The Boeing 787-9 involved in the incident is named ‘Herne’ and carries tail number D-ABPQ. It was delivered new to the airline in January 2026 and entered service on 13 February.
Just four months into service with the airline, the Dreamliner has flown to destinations as far-flung as Delhi, Toronto and Rio. Today, it was due to fly to Los Angeles on service LH450, with a scheduled departure time of 13:50 local.
NEW: Front landing gear of a Lufthansa Boeing 787-9 collapses while parked at the gate at Frankfurt Airport.
— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) June 4, 2026
No statement has currently been made regarding the cause or whether there were any injuries. pic.twitter.com/TgK4bTxQjj
Following the incident, the flight to LA was cancelled. Lufthansa will be seeking to reaccommodate passengers on another service, as D-ABPQ may not be flying again for some time.
Lufthansa landing gear failure bears similarities with 2021 British Airways incident
Today’s Lufthansa incident brings to mind a similar accident involving a British Airways Boeing 787 in 2021. Then, the 787-8 with tail number G-ZBJB suffered a nose gear collapse at London’s Heathrow Airport while the aircraft was being prepared for a flight.
In that case, the final investigation report identified an issue with the nose landing gear downlock pin, which had been inadvertently inserted into the wrong hole in the assembly.
The downlock pin is a safety device inserted into the gear’s locking mechanism while an aircraft is on the ground. Its primary purpose is to physically prevent the gear from accidentally folding or retracting during maintenance, towing, or hydraulic testing.
In the case of the British Airways incident, the AAIB found that the design of the nose landing gear downlock assembly created an opportunity for error, with two holes located so close together that the pin could be inadvertently inserted in the incorrect location.
It’s unknown if this was the same issue that affected Lufthansa’s Boeing 787 today, but investigations will ultimately determine the cause.
