On June 4, 2026- a nearly brand-new Lufthansa Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner (registered as D-ABPQ and named "Herne") suffered a dramatic nose landing gear collapse while parked at gate A15 at Frankfurt Airport. The incident occurred at approximately 12:45 p.m. local time while the widebody aircraft was being prepared for flight LH450 to Los Angeles. Video footage captured from the apron shows the front landing gear unexpectedly retracting, causing the plane's nose to plunge several meters and strike the tarmac hard, which broke off the nose gear bay door flaps and trapped a nearby baggage conveyor vehicle.

Casualties and Flight Status

  • Injuries: No passengers were on board at the time, as boarding had not yet commenced. However, two Lufthansa cabin crew members and several ground handling employees who were working on and around the aircraft sustained minor injuries. They were transported to a local hospital for medical evaluation and treatment.

  • Flight Cancellation: Due to the severe structural damage sustained by the forward fuselage, flight LH450 to Los Angeles was immediately canceled, and the aircraft was completely withdrawn from service.

The Investigation: Human Error or Technical Failure?

Aviation investigators, alongside tech teams from Lufthansa and Boeing, have launched a full investigation to determine whether the retraction was caused by a mechanical malfunction, maintenance activity, or human error. While nose gear collapses are incredibly rare for the Boeing 787 family, this event draws immediate comparisons to a well-known June 2021 incident involving a British Airways 787 at London Heathrow. In that past case, the definitive cause was human error: a mechanic accidentally inserted a critical safety downlock pin into the wrong hole assembly during pre-departure ground testing, allowing the gear to fold. Investigators are currently reviewing whether a similar ground-handling oversight or a mechanical failure triggered the Frankfurt collapse