A Qatar Airways Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, tail number A7-BCV, sustained structural damage in a ground incident at Doha’s Hamad International Airport on October 25, 2024. The aircraft had completed flight QR663 from Colombo, Sri Lanka, and was taxiing to its assigned gate when its right main landing gear encountered an unexpected failure in the tarmac.

As the Dreamliner was approaching its parking position at low speed, a section of the apron’s drainage cover gave way under the right main gear, causing two wheels to drop approximately one meter into a collapsed drain recess. This sudden height differential tilted the aircraft significantly, forcing its number two engine cowling to make contact with the tarmac. The aircraft then came to rest with its right engine nacelle braced against the ground, resulting in visible damage to the engine inlet and fan cowls.

Developing Story: A Qatar Airways B787 Dreamliner Right main landing gear wheels sunk into an apron drain after the aircraft arrived on gate.

Forwarded by Mahmoud Al Fares #aircraft pic.twitter.com/iD47hX40by

— FL360aero (@fl360aero) October 27, 2024

Following the incident, all passengers and crew safely disembarked, with no reported injuries. Qatar Airways later confirmed the incident, clarifying that the right landing gear struck a structural feature on the ground, which led to the engine’s contact with the apron surface. Passengers were subsequently rebooked onto other flights.

The aircraft in question, delivered in 2015 and now approximately nine years old, features a 254-seat configuration across business and economy classes. Since the incident, the Dreamliner has remained grounded at Doha as maintenance teams perform detailed inspections. Initial focus areas include the integrity of the right landing gear, engine cowling, fan blades, thrust reverser mechanisms, and any potential stress on the engine mounts.

Airport authorities at Hamad International have launched an investigation into the apron’s structural failure, with preliminary assessments indicating a likely defect in the drainage cover and surrounding tarmac. These findings could inform future apron maintenance standards to prevent similar incidents.