A German Lufthansa Boeing 787 passenger plane had its landing gear collapse while parked at Frankfurt Airport on 4/6, causing many people to be injured.
Security camera footage showed the Boeing 787's nose landing gear collapsing and sliding forward, causing the aircraft to nose-dive and strike the concrete apron. The landing gear bay doors broke off, while the cargo hold door was also bent backward due to an obstruction from a cargo loader. Both aircraft engines also impacted the ground; the extent of the damage is currently unknown.
The cause of the incident has not yet been determined. Lufthansa stated that the landing gear "unexpectedly retracted" approximately one hour before the aircraft's scheduled departure, while manufacturer Boeing announced it "has been informed and is assisting the customer".
Jeff Guzzetti, a former accident investigator with extensive experience at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), pointed out that a plane's landing gear collapsing while stationary on the apron is "very unusual". He noted it is too early to speculate on the cause of the incident, but suggested potential factors could include pre-existing landing gear damage, mechanical failure, or maintenance-related issues.
According to Guzzetti, investigators will thoroughly examine the aircraft's maintenance history and system records, as well as review flight data to assess how the landing gear performed during previous landings. "They will look at every detail of the nose landing gear strut and operating mechanism," he said.
The Associated Press (AP) noted that a similar incident occurred with a British Airways Boeing 787 aircraft when its landing gear collapsed while parked at Heathrow Airport on 18/1/2021.
A report later published by the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) revealed the cause was that the maintenance team had incorrectly installed the nose landing gear locking pin. This caused the landing gear to retract during a pre-delivery inspection, instead of remaining locked in the extended position, and resulted in the aircraft's nose impacting the ground below.
The AAIB concluded that the design of the nose landing gear posed a risk of serious incident due to the easily mistaken position of the locking pin installation. The agency issued safety guidance to prevent similar incidents from recurring, but the corrective measures appear not to have been implemented on the Lufthansa aircraft.
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A Lufthansa Boeing 787 aircraft had its landing gear collapse while parked at Frankfurt Airport, Germany on 4/6. Photo: AP |
The Boeing 787-8 is one of the most modern passenger aircraft currently in service worldwide. Launched in 2011, this aircraft type is widely used by global airlines for intercontinental flights. Typically, the aircraft has a capacity of 242-290 passengers and can fly continuously for 13,500 km.
It is a highly reliable aircraft model with advanced safety features and a strong operational record.
According to Flightradar24, the aircraft involved in the incident had been operational for just over one year and was delivered to Lufthansa in January, being one of the newest wide-body aircraft added to the German airline's fleet. Since entering service in February, the Boeing 787 had completed a total of 137 flights.
Ngoc Anh (According to AP, AFP)
