One of Lufthansa’s newest long-haul aircraft has been damaged following a rare ground incident at Frankfurt Airport, after the nose landing gear of a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner collapsed while the aircraft was parked at a departure gate.
The incident occurred on 4 June at approximately 12:45pm local time and involved flight LH450, which was scheduled to operate from Frankfurt to Los Angeles. The aircraft, registered D-ABPQ and named “Herne”, was undergoing pre-departure preparations when its forward landing gear unexpectedly failed.
According to Lufthansa, passengers had not yet boarded the aircraft. However, crew members and ground personnel were onboard and working around the aircraft when the collapse occurred. Several employees sustained injuries and received medical treatment.
The airline has not disclosed the number of injured personnel or the extent of their injuries.
According to reporting by Aviation Today, the aircraft remained connected to the passenger boarding bridge when the incident took place.
Video footage from the airport and images shared online showed the aircraft's nose suddenly dropping onto the apron after the nose landing gear folded beneath the aircraft.
Emergency response teams arrived shortly afterwards and secured the area around the Dreamliner.
Initial photographs from the scene indicated visible damage to the aircraft's forward section. The aircraft came to rest with its nose lowered to the ground, while the damaged landing gear was positioned beneath the forward fuselage.
Key facts confirmed following the incident include:
• The aircraft involved was Lufthansa flight LH450 to Los Angeles
• The incident occurred at Frankfurt Airport on 4 June
• The aircraft was a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner registered D-ABPQ
• Passengers had not yet boarded the aircraft
• Several crew members and ground staff were injured
• The scheduled Los Angeles flight was cancelled
The aircraft remained at the gate area while investigators and technical teams began examining the scene.
Images published following the incident suggested that the collapse caused substantial damage to the aircraft's nose section.
According to Aviation Today, the impact reportedly damaged the nose landing gear bay doors and surrounding structural components.
Reports also indicated that portions of the lower forward fuselage may have come into contact with the ground during the event, although the full extent of the damage has yet to be officially detailed.
The aircraft's recovery and repair process will likely depend on the findings of the ongoing investigation and the results of detailed structural inspections.
Damage assessments following landing gear failures can be extensive, particularly when structural components around the gear bay and fuselage are affected.
The aircraft involved is among the newest additions to Lufthansa's long-haul fleet.
Flight tracking data cited by Aviation Today showed that D-ABPQ was delivered to Lufthansa in January 2025 and entered commercial service the following month.
Since beginning operations, the aircraft had reportedly completed approximately 137 flights before the incident.
The relatively young age of the aircraft has drawn particular attention within the aviation sector, as major landing gear failures involving recently delivered widebody aircraft are uncommon.
The Boeing 787-9 forms an important part of Lufthansa's long-haul fleet modernisation programme, supporting services across North America and other international markets.
Lufthansa confirmed that an investigation has been initiated in coordination with the relevant authorities.
The airline stated that it is working to establish exactly what caused the unexpected collapse.
Boeing also acknowledged the incident and said it is supporting Lufthansa during the investigation process.
At this stage, no cause has been identified.
Investigators are expected to review multiple areas, including:
• Aircraft maintenance records
• Landing gear system components
• Hydraulic systems
• Recent technical work performed on the aircraft
• Pre-departure maintenance procedures
Aviation Today reported that specialists will also examine evidence gathered from the aircraft and airport systems to reconstruct the sequence of events leading up to the collapse.
Aviation experts cited by Aviation Today noted that a nose landing gear failure while an aircraft is stationary at a gate is highly unusual.
Unlike failures that occur during take-off, landing or taxi operations, the aircraft was not moving when the incident happened.
Observers reviewing photographs from the scene noted that the nose gear appeared to fold forward rather than collapse under landing or taxi loads.
This has led to discussion about whether an unintended gear retraction-related event may have occurred while the aircraft was on the ground.
However, investigators have not confirmed any such scenario.
Lufthansa and the relevant authorities have emphasised that the cause remains undetermined and that all possibilities will be assessed as part of the investigation.
The cancellation of flight LH450 was an immediate operational consequence of the incident, but the longer-term impact will depend on the outcome of the technical investigation.
For Lufthansa, the priority remains understanding how a recently delivered aircraft experienced such an unusual failure while stationary at the gate.
The findings could help determine whether the event was caused by a mechanical malfunction, maintenance-related issue, procedural factor or another technical problem.
Until investigators complete their work, the exact circumstances surrounding the collapse remain unclear. What is certain is that the incident has placed one of Lufthansa's newest Boeing 787 Dreamliners under intense scrutiny as aviation authorities, the airline and Boeing seek answers to an exceptionally rare ground occurrence.
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