SWISS Flight Attendant Dies Following Emergency Landing Incident

A SWISS flight attendant tragically passed away on December 30th, following complications from a cabin smoke incident that occurred just days earlier. This heartbreaking loss came after the emergency landing of SWISS flight LX1885, an Airbus A220-300, which had been en route from Bucharest (OTP) to Zurich (ZRH) when smoke filled the cabin.

On December 23rd, the flight was forced to divert to Graz Airport (GRZ) due to a smoke emergency inside the cabin. Upon landing, all 74 passengers and five crew members evacuated the aircraft via inflatable slides.

Emergency services promptly attended to those affected, including two flight attendants and ten passengers who were taken to the hospital. Tragically, one flight attendant, who had been transferred to intensive care in critical condition, succumbed to his injuries a week later.

SWISS, deeply shaken by the incident, announced, “Our young colleague died in the hospital in Graz on Monday 30 December.” SWISS revealed that the flight attendant collapsed while attempting to locate the source of the smoke, wearing protective breathing equipment (PBE). SWISS CEO Jens Fehlinger expressed his sorrow, stating:

“We are devastated at our dear colleague’s death. His loss has left us all in the deepest shock and grief. Our thoughts are with his family, whose pain we cannot imagine.”

Details of the Incident

Reports indicate that the smoke event stemmed from a technical failure in one of the engines. According to the Av Herald, an oil leak in the left-hand engine resulted in an uncontained engine failure, which corroborates passenger accounts of hearing an explosion. The airline is working closely with engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney to determine the exact cause.

The seven-year-old aircraft, registered as HB-JCD, was delivered to SWISS in November 2017 and remains grounded in Graz pending repairs, including the replacement of the left-hand engine.

A critical aspect of the investigation is the apparent malfunction of the protective breathing equipment. These devices, which supply oxygen to crew members during smoke events, appear to have failed in this case. This failure is particularly alarming, as the airline had previously identified issues with some of the PBEs in its fleet. In October 2023, SWISS announced a review of one PBE model after discovering that it either failed to function correctly or was difficult to remove from its packaging during two incidents earlier that year. Consequently, the airline replaced over 1,000 units.

SWISS Chief Operating Officer Oliver Buchhofer echoed the deep sorrow felt across the airline:

“Losing our colleague and fellow member of our SWISS team leaves me distraught and dismayed. But we stand with one another at this truly difficult time; and we will be doing our utmost, together with the relevant authorities, to determine the causes involved.”

The airline has committed to a thorough investigation, collaborating with aviation authorities and its team of experts to analyze all available data. This ongoing effort aims to ensure that such incidents are prevented in the future.

Youssef Yahya

Youssef Yahya is the CEO and Founder of Aviation for Aviators, a platform dedicated to the aviation industry. With over 3 years of experience as an aviation writer, Youssef is passionate about sharing his insights on aviation, entrepreneurship, and the broader business landscape. As a Teaching Assistant in Entrepreneurship at Nile University, he also nurtures the next generation of entrepreneurs. When he’s not exploring the skies or business ventures, you can find him saying, ‘Drag your coffee, and let’s talk aviation, entrepreneurship, and football.’

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