A Qatar Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner sustained damage after its landing gear fell into a drain at Hamad International Airport (DOH).

The incident which occurred on October 25, 2024, involved a 9 1/2 year old Boeing 787-8 registered A7-BCV. The aircraft flew in from Colombo (CMB), Sri Lanka, completing flight QR663. After a safe landing, the aircraft was taxiing into its parking position when the front section of the right main gear fell into a drain.

An engineer on site said that the drain cover collapsed as the main gear taxied over it, resulting in it falling in, dismissing rumors that the cover was missing.

“The A7-BCV did not fall into the drain; rather, it was the ramp area that collapsed, leading to the aircraft’s main landing gear wheels falling into it.”

With the two front wheels almost entirely in the hole, the right engine contacted the ground, resulting in damage to the inlet and fan cowl, with possible damage to the thrust reverser as well.

The aircraft has been taken out of service as thorough checks have to be conducted to determine the full extent of the damage to the engine and landing gear.

Airport authorities at Doha have also launched an investigation to determine why the drain cover failed in the first place, and may need to assess other covers around the ramp to ensure something like this does not happen in the future.

Featured image: ERIC SALARD/Flickr | CC BY-SA 2.0 Generic