This isn’t the first or last time that something like this will happen. Regardless, it can’t help but make for quite a picture…
In this post:
GetJet 737 “tips” backward in Norway while on ground
This incident happened shortly after 12PM yesterday (Tuesday, June 10, 2025), and involves a 21-year-old Boeing 737-800 with the registration code LY-UNO. Specifically, the flight was operated by GetJet Airlines, a Lithuanian charter airline, which was operating a flight on behalf of Wizz Air, under a wet lease agreement.
Flight W61749 had just operated the 607-mile flight from Gdansk, Poland (GDN), to Haugesund, Norway (HAU). As passengers were deplaning via air stairs and cargo was being unloaded, the aircraft suddenly tipped backward, and the jet’s tail made contact with the ground.
Below you can see the video of the plane’s forward wheel suspended in the air…
Fortunately there weren’t any injuries reported, because as you’d expect, this could pose a risk to both the passengers and crew on the plane, as well as ground staff. The aircraft was temporarily taken out of service, though reentered service this afternoon, after around 28 hours on the ground.
While unrelated to this incident, I think it’s not too hard to figure out which airline this plane previously flew for before GetJet acquired it, based on the modified livery. 😉
What causes planes to “tip” backward on the ground?
It’s pretty rare to see incidents like this occur, which is why something like this makes headlines. What could cause a plane to tip backward, as seen here? While I’m sure an investigation will be performed, presumably this comes down to weight and balance.
To state the obvious, if correct procedures are being followed, a plane isn’t supposed to tip like this, though something went wrong here:
- It’s totally standard for passengers to disembark from front to back, so that’s not typically the cause of something like this (unless the people in the back half of the plane are all sumo wrestlers)
- Instead, more often than not, this is caused by cargo not being unloaded in the correct order, with forward cargo being offloaded before rear cargo
This was probably the perfect storm in terms of having too much cargo and passenger weight in the back of the aircraft, while not having enough cargo and passenger weight in the front of the aircraft. As you can see in the above video, quite a few bags have already been offloaded from the forward compartment.
It’s interesting that this was a 737-800, since more often than not we see incidents with the “longer” variants of jets, like the 737-900. To mitigate the risk of an aircraft tipping backward, some airlines have a tail stand that they use for aircraft. Essentially this is a stand placed near the back of the aircraft that prevents tipping. Presumably that wasn’t being used here.
But yeah, this isn’t the first or last time that we’ll see something like this happen…
Bottom line
A GetJet Airlines Boeing 737-800 operating a flight on behalf of Wizz Air tipped backward, while passengers and cargo were being offloaded at an airport in Norway. Incidents like this are rare, but do happen, and it likely reflects the order in which cargo was removed from the plane.
Fortunately the plane just stayed out of service for around a day, so obviously there was no major damage.
What do you make of this GetJet Boeing 737 incident?
This 737 identifes as a DC3!
In Chili last year on a local flight and they had the rear of the 737 deplane first.
Contract ground handlers using unwise offloading procedures. Notice the cart of bags removed from the front hold and no bags removed from the aft hold?
Best method to right the aircraft is with Air Bags.
No information of how they right the aircraft?
they forklift ur mom into the cockpit
That was funny.
On the other hand, you skipped school today?
Too many fatties sitting in the back by the toilets.
....Or, maybe, too much " weight " in the aft toilets !
Your momma's in the back of the plane.
What does this tell me about Boeing narrow body aircraft?
If it’s Boeing, I’m better off not going.
It's strange how you completely ignore the JetBlue AIRBUS aircraft in this very same post and make a comment like this. Planes have a center of gravity for a reason and it should be respected.
Another U.S. airline or ground handling company failure, yes?
How could I possibly know about such incidents at every U.S. airport?
Aero, if you truly claim to be a pilot, you'd know weight and balance is not limited to Boeing, nor the US.
And when called out, you deflect.
LARPpretender …. One “Know(s) weight and balance is not limited to Boeing, nor the US”. However, winding up LARP’s, colonials, etc, is often fun, yes?
But this happened in Norway...with a European carrier. How will you deflect now?
One is aware of those who prefer to change their login details more regularly than their knickers, is that not so Apes?
... Certainly.,, I know I have a distaste for " soiled " login details !
:)
What are you yapping about man
Probably 'gringo' ex-pat contracted pilots !
...lol..
Aero...dba bossa.
Lame.
U.S. airline Alaska doesn't take any chances with tipping.... I've seen tail stands being used on both 737-900s AND 800s...
Is it the airline or the airport?
At hubs the airline may control the ramp procedures, but not at outstations.
So does Alaska make this request of the airport, or carry the stand on each aircraft?
Alaska places these at each station as it is opened. All airlines have documented standard operating procedures that must be followed, and a tail stand is part of that procedure for Alaska Airlines.