![]() HB-JCD, the aircraft involved in the accident, on 28 July 2024 | |
Accident | |
---|---|
Date | 23 December 2024 |
Summary | Cabin smoke due to engine failure caused by previously unknown fault pattern [1] |
Site | Styria, Austria 46°59′35″N015°26′21″E / 46.99306°N 15.43917°E |
Aircraft | |
Aircraft type | Airbus A220-300 |
Operator | Swiss International Air Lines |
IATA flight No. | LX1885 |
ICAO flight No. | SWR2SE |
Call sign | SWISS TWO SIERRA ECHO [a] |
Registration | HB-JCD |
Flight origin | Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport, Bucharest, Romania |
Destination | Zurich Airport, Zurich, Switzerland |
Occupants | 79 |
Passengers | 74 |
Crew | 5 |
Fatalities | 1 |
Injuries | 16 |
Survivors | 78 |
Swiss International Air Lines Flight 1885 (callsign: SWISS TWO SIERRA ECHO [a] ) was a scheduled international passenger flight operated by Swiss International Air Lines from Bucharest Airport in Bucharest, Romania, to Zurich Airport in Zurich, Switzerland. On 23 December 2024, the Airbus A220-300 experienced an engine failure at FL400 (40,000 feet [12,192 m]), leading to smoke entering the cabin. An emergency landing was performed at Graz Airport, Austria, and all 79 occupants were evacuated via emergency slides. [2] One crew member was airlifted to a hospital in Graz and died on 30 December 2024, a week after the accident. This was the first fatal accident involving Swiss International Air Lines and the Airbus A220.[ failed verification ] [3] [4] [5]
The aircraft involved was an Airbus A220-300, manufactured in 2017, and registered as HB-JCD. [2] It was powered by two Pratt & Whitney PW1524G-3 engines. [6]
The aircraft had an engine failure at FL400 (40,000 feet [12,192 m]) en route to Zurich, which led to smoke entering the cabin. The flight was forced to divert to Graz Airport. [2] At 16:33 UTC, the flight emergency landed at Graz, and all 79 passengers and crew members were evacuated using the emergency slides. [2] Twelve passengers and five crew members received medical attention. [3] Two cabin crew members were still in the hospital by 27 December, and on 30 December, a week after the accident, the airline announced that one of the crew members had died. [2]
The accident marked the first fatal accident in the history of Swiss International Air Lines since its foundation in 2002, and the first fatal accident involving the Airbus A220 family since its introduction in 2016. [3] [4] [5]
An engine failure due to a previously unknown fault pattern was flagged during initial investigations. [1] The left engine's main shaft was found fractured. [5]
The crew's protective breathing equipment (PBE) was also under investigation. Because of handling and performance issues Swiss had started a replacement programme in October 2023 which was expected to finish in the first quarter of 2025. [7]
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