Cargolux has begun an investigation after the left landing gear of Boeing 747-8F freighter LX-VCF collapsed while the aircraft was parked at Luxembourg Airport Findel on Friday morning. No one was injured. As a precaution, the airline has ordered additional inspections of its entire worldwide 747-8F fleet before each aircraft’s next flight, a measure that could affect cargo scheduling if checks cause operational delays.
The aircraft was stationary in its parking position and was not taking off or landing when the failure occurred. Luxembourg’s CGDIS firefighters responded at approximately 11:15 local time. Recovery operations were under way in coordination with the relevant authorities.
Cargolux has not disclosed the technical cause of the collapse, the extent of damage to the freighter or how long LX-VCF may remain out of service. The airline also gave no indication that the precautionary inspections had caused delays or cancellations. The investigation will determine the circumstances of the incident, while the fleet checks are intended to identify any comparable condition before another 747-8F operates a flight.