--- title: "A Boeing Jet’s Nose Was Caught on Video Suddenly Collapsing to the Ground" description: "In Belgium, a Boeing 737 jetliner quite literally fell flat on its nose — and the airline behind it is stumped as to what happened. " date: "2025-01-09" modified: "2025-01-09" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/boeing-jet-nose-collapse" categories: - "Boeing" - "Future Society" - "Space" tags: - "#airlines" - "boeing" - "planes" - "the digest" --- # A Boeing Jet’s Nose Was Caught on Video Suddenly Collapsing to the Ground ![In Belgium, a Boeing 737 jetliner quite literally fell flat on its nose — and the airline behind it is stumped as to what happened. ]() *\Image: @olivier1166\* ## Nasal Passage In Belgium, a Boeing 737 jetliner quite literally fell on its nose — and the airline behind it is stumped as to what happened. As [Dutch-language *Het Laatste Nieuws* indicates](), the nose landing gear of the TUI airlines-operated 737, which had landed earlier on the morning of January in Brussels after a flight from Spain, appeared to abruptly collapse while the jet was parked. Luckily, no passengers were on board the jet at the time, and the [all-Boeing airline]() confirmed that there were no injuries sustained during the bizarre incident that quickly spread on social media after onlookers [posted images]() and [videos of the collapse](). https://www.twitter.com/AFlyGuyTravels/status/1877063572544479372 ## Till I Collapse In an interview with *HLN*, aviation journalist Luk de Wilde called the collapse "exceptional" — but said it probably doesn't represent quite as huge a safety hazard as it would appear at first. "When an aircraft lands, the landing gear retracts," he explained, "and thanks to gravity and the weight of an aircraft, that will always happen." De Wilde conjectured that the cause was "probably a human error by maintenance personnel or the crew" — an admission that TUI itself does not seem ready to make. "We will carry out an in-depth analysis of the situation in consultation with the authorities," TUI said in a [statement](), "but we can already confirm that no technical problem is at the origin of this incident." ## Bad News Bears The timing of this nasal failure couldn't be worse for TUI, which in recent months has taken media heat after repeated incidents drew scrutiny in the wake of [Boeing's own safety issues]() and [internal crises]() following [last January's door blowout incident](). Just a few weeks ago, [one of the airline's flight attendants was hospitalized]() after stepping out of the cabin without realizing its stairs had already been retracted, falling hard to the ground. Back in August, passengers on another TUI flight were forced to evacuate after a fire broke out in the cargo hold of yet another 737 after it had landed. Belgian comedian [Gunter Lamoot told *HLN*]() after that incident that the scene was particularly strange because the landing had gone off without a hitch, and people had even applauded the pilots before the evacuation order was issued. Between these anxiety-inducing occurrences and the [two separate reports]() about [TUI's safety failures]() issued in the latter half of 2024, things aren't looking great for the destination airline, which primarily shepherds passengers from Belgium and the United Kingdom to [various vacation spots](). Then again, things are probably worse for the [manufacturer that provides its planes](). **More on plane panic:** [*Former NASA Astronaut Puzzled by Metallic Orbs He Encountered While Flying*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()