The German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU) has initiated a formal probe into an incident in which the nose landing gear of a Boeing 787-9 collapsed while the aircraft was at a gate at Frankfurt Airport, a BFU spokesperson confirmed.
The event occurred at 12:45 p.m. local time on Thursday. The aircraft involved was a Boeing 787-9 scheduled to operate Lufthansa flight LH450 to Los Angeles. Lufthansa reported that passengers had not yet boarded the jet when the nose gear gave way.
Lufthansa said several members of the crew and ground personnel sustained light injuries and were taken to hospital for treatment. Two Lufthansa employees who were admitted briefly on Thursday were discharged the same day, the airline added.
The BFU spokesperson said the agency anticipates issuing an interim report in approximately eight weeks. A final report is expected in about one year, according to the spokesperson.
Lufthansa confirmed that the affected 787-9 will be repaired after the conclusion of the investigative work. The carrier has been integrating the Boeing 787-9 into its fleet as part of a broader plan to retire less efficient aircraft and streamline its fleet composition.
At this stage, the BFU is leading the technical inquiry to establish the sequence of events and contributing factors. The agency's timeline indicates an initial summary of findings within weeks, followed by a comprehensive analysis that could take about a year to complete.
The incident did not involve passengers, since boarding had not yet commenced for the Los Angeles-bound service. Lufthansa has not provided further operational details beyond confirming the hospital visits for crew and ground staff and the airline's intention to repair the aircraft once the investigation allows.
Contextual note - The BFU's stated timeframes set expectations for when interim and final findings will be available, but the agency has not released technical details about what caused the nose gear collapse.