GetJet (Wizz Air) 737 Tail Tips After Improper Unloading

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Is this a Boeing 737 too eager to takeoff? Not exactly.

On June 10, 2025, a GetJet Boeing 737-800 (registered LY-UNO) operating on behalf of Wizz Air, completed flight W6 1749 from Gdansk (GDN), Poland, to Haugesund (HAU), Norway.

During passenger disembarkation and baggage unloading, the aircraft tipped backwards, resting on the rear section of the fuselage. Luckily no passengers or ground crew were injured when the incident happened, but the aircraft was taken out of service for repairs as a result of damage to the fuselage.

WIZZ AIR 737 TIPS BACKWARDS DURING UNLOADING IN NORWAY 🇳🇴✈️

A GetJet Airlines Boeing 737-800 operating for Wizz Air (GDN-HAU-GDN) dramatically tipped onto its tail at Haugesund Airport, Norway due to an unfortunate weight imbalance during passenger disembarkation and baggage… https://t.co/8a9v8qKeg3

— Turbine Traveller (@Turbinetraveler) June 11, 2025

Tail tipping incidents involving larger aircraft don’t usually happen often. However, the rear section of a Boeing 737-900ER for instance extends significantly farther than a -800, making the aircraft more prone to tipping. That’s why you sometimes see ground crew attaching a tail stand to counter that rearward shifting center of gravity.

Even though the Boeing 737-800 is more tolerant to weight shift as a result of its shorter rear fuselage, ground crew still have to respect the center of gravity (CG) limits, as improper loading or unloading can push the CG too far to the rear, resulting in the above happening.

In an interview with local media, the airport operations manager confirmed the incident was as a result of aircraft being rear-heavy while it was being unloaded.

The return flight to Gdansk was delayed by nearly eight hours as passengers had to wait for a replacement aircraft to be flown in. The damaged 737 was “limped” back to Siauliai (SQQ), Lithuania the next day for repair works, flying unpressurized at 9,000 feet.

What caused the aircraft to tip?

Ideally, ground crew should unload cargo from the rear first before removing bags from the forward hold. Even though the 737-800 is more forgiving when it comes to weigh distribution variations, it is possible that the combination of bags being unloaded from the front, and passengers deplaning from front to back, was enough to tip the aircraft.

In September 2021, a United Boeing 737-900ER football charter tail tipped as a result of improper unloading. Given that Lewiston Airport rarely sees larger commercial-sized aircraft, it’s possible the ground crew were not fully familiar with the unloading procedure for the longer 737 variant.

In October 2023, a Jetblue Airbus A321-200 tail tipped at New York, also because of incorrect unloading techniques. It doesn’t come as a surprise as the flight originated in Barbados, where Caribbean travelers are known to fly with their fair share of baggage.