A Lufthansa Boeing Dreamliner nosedived at Frankfurt Airport on Thursday. According to Lufthansa, “the aircraft's nose gear unexpectedly retracted” while it was parked.
Crew members and ground staff were inside the aircraft at the moment the gear collapsed, and several of them were hurt. The injured were receiving medical attention in the aftermath. No passengers had yet boarded when the failure occurred. The Dreamliner had been preparing to operate a service to Los Angeles. Lufthansa said the incident happened around midday, at 12:45. As a direct consequence, the planned flight to Los Angeles was called off.
A spokesperson for the airline told AFP that two members of the 13-strong Lufthansa crew, together with employees of airport service providers, were taken to a hospital with minor injuries. Lufthansa said it is now reviewing the exact circumstances alongside the relevant authorities, and that technicians and support teams were already on site.
The spokesperson added that the aircraft was expected to be towed into a hangar on Thursday evening, where further examinations would take place before any repair work begins. The aviation website Aerotelegraph was first to report the incident. According to that account, the aircraft is only around a year old, having been delivered to Lufthansa as recently as January.
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