BALTIMORE, MD — Emergency crews were called to the apron of Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) on Wednesday morning after the nose landing gear of a FedEx Express cargo aircraft collapsed while the plane was parked.
The aircraft, an Airbus A300-600F registered as N682FE, was positioned outside a maintenance hangar when the incident occurred. The 27-year-old jet, nicknamed “Gabrial” by the carrier, had recently arrived from the company’s global hub in Memphis.
Incident Details
According to airport officials, the aircraft was undergoing scheduled maintenance at the time of the collapse. For reasons still under investigation, the front landing gear strut gave way, causing the aircraft’s nose to drop and come to rest on the tarmac.
Despite the dramatic nature of the mechanical failure, FedEx confirmed that the situation was handled quickly and safely. In an official statement, the company said:
“We were informed of an incident involving one of our aircraft parked at Baltimore for maintenance. No one was injured, and we thank our teams and emergency services for their swift response.”
Fleet Context
The A300-600F has long been a reliable workhorse for FedEx, though the fleet is currently entering an advanced age. Many of these aircraft are being phased out in favor of the more fuel-efficient Boeing 767-300F.
The incident at BWI did not cause any disruptions to commercial passenger flights or general airport operations, as the aircraft was located in a dedicated cargo and maintenance area. FAA inspectors are expected to conduct a full assessment to determine if the collapse was due to mechanical fatigue, a maintenance error, or a specific component failure.
