Several injured as Lufthansa Dreamliner collapses at Frankfurt gate

FRANKFURT, Germany - Several employees were injured when a Lufthansa plane collapsed while parked at a gate at Frankfurt Airport on Thursday after its nose landing gear unexpectedly retracted, the airline said.

Lufthansa said 13 crew members were on board, along with an unspecified number of airline and contractor employees preparing the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner before passenger boarding.

Two Lufthansa cabin crew employees and other staff from service providers were taken to hospital, a company spokesman said. He did not provide details on the severity of the injuries or the total number of people hurt.

The incident occurred at around 12:45 pm (1045 GMT) while the aircraft was parked at gate position A15. The plane was bound for Los Angeles and no passengers were on board.

Once cleared by authorities, the aircraft is expected to be moved to a maintenance hangar for further examination before repairs begin.

A video of the incident shared by tracking website Flightradar24 shows the nose gear of the aircraft snapping, causing the body of the plane to crash to the ground.

The jet bridge had already been attached at that point, the footage shows.

An airport worker wearing a safety vest can be seen close to the plane's nose as the aircraft collapses, jumping back to avoid being hit.

Another worker can be seen standing on top of a cargo lift on the right-hand side of the aircraft. Both appear to be unharmed.

Photographs show the Lufthansa jet resting on its belly at the gate while the tail remained elevated. The aircraft appeared to have sustained significant damage.

Lufthansa currently operates 17 Dreamliners and received its first Boeing 787-9 in 2022. The airline plans to expand the fleet further in the coming years.

The incident did not affect traffic at the airport.

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This story was originally published June 4, 2026 at 1:37 PM.