Cargolux Boeing 747-8F LX-VCF suffered a collapse of its left main landing gear while parked at Luxembourg Airport’s Findel facility on 23 October. The freighter was stationary on its stand, and no crew members, employees or other people were injured. Cargolux has begun recovery operations and an investigation while ordering additional inspections of its worldwide 747-8F fleet before each aircraft’s next flight.
Emergency services attended the airport at approximately 11:15 local time, confirming that the event occurred on the ground rather than during takeoff, landing or taxiing. The aircraft, reportedly built in 2012, remained unavailable while recovery work proceeded in coordination with the relevant authorities.
The cause of the landing-gear failure was not known, and Cargolux had not provided a timetable for LX-VCF’s return to service. The airline also had not disclosed whether the aircraft sustained damage beyond the landing gear, what the additional inspections would involve or whether the checks had affected flight schedules.
The precautionary inspections cover Cargolux’s Boeing 747-8F fleet worldwide and are to be completed before the next flight of each aircraft. The measure could temporarily affect freighter availability while the investigation determines whether the failure was isolated or requires further action.