Lufthansa 787 Nose Gear Retracts at Frankfurt Gate, Injuring Crew

Incident at Frankfurt Airport

A Lufthansa Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner suffered a nose landing gear retraction while parked at a passenger gate at Frankfurt Airport on June 4, 2024. The incident occurred around 12:45 p.m. local time as ground crews were preparing the aircraft for a scheduled flight to Los Angeles (LH450). According to Lufthansa, the nose gear "unexpectedly retracted," causing the forward fuselage to drop abruptly onto the apron.

Injuries and Damage

Lufthansa confirmed that several staff members were injured during the event and received medical treatment, though no life-threatening injuries or fatalities were reported. The sudden drop caused the aircraft to strike a cargo scissor-lift pallet loader, resulting in damage to both the loader and the aircraft's forward fuselage. No passengers were on board at the time of the incident, and the flight to Los Angeles was subsequently canceled.

Investigation and Technical Context

An investigation is being conducted by Lufthansa, German aviation authorities and Boeing to determine the cause of the retraction. Analysis of ramp footage suggests the gear moved upward into the wheel well rather than suffering a structural collapse. While a similar incident involving a British Airways 787 at London Heathrow in 2021 was attributed to an incorrectly installed downlock pin, investigators have not yet established a link between that event and the Frankfurt incident.