Swiss International Air Lines Flight 1885
| File:Swiss International Air Lines logo.svg Logo of Swiss International Air Lines | |
| Company type | Airline |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aviation |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Headquarters | Zurich , Switzerland |
Area served | International |
| Products | Passenger air transport |
| Parent | Lufthansa Group |
| Website | swiss |
Swiss International Air Lines Flight 1885 (LX1885/SWR1885) was an international passenger service operated by Swiss International Air Lines, flying from Bucharest Airport in Bucharest, Romania, to Zurich Airport in Zurich, Switzerland. On 23 December 2024, the Airbus A220-300 encountered an engine failure at flight level 400 (40,000 feet), which resulted in smoke infiltrating the cabin. The aircraft executed an emergency diversion to Graz Airport, Austria, where it landed safely. All 79 individuals on board evacuated using emergency slides. One crew member was airlifted to a Graz hospital and succumbed to injuries on 30 December 2024, a week following the incident. This event represented the first fatal accident involving both Swiss International Air Lines and the Airbus A220 model.
Aircraft
The plane involved was a seven-year-old Airbus A220-300, built in 2017 and registered under HB-JCD. It was equipped with two Pratt & Whitney PW1524G-3 engines.
Accident
While cruising at FL400 (40,000 feet) en route to Zurich, the aircraft suffered an engine failure that caused smoke to enter the passenger cabin. The flight diverted to Graz Airport, where it made an emergency landing at 16:33 UTC. All 79 passengers and crew members evacuated through emergency slides. Medical treatment was necessary for twelve passengers and five crew members. By 27 December, two cabin crew remained hospitalized; Swiss International Air Lines announced on 30 December that one crew member had died.
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Aftermath
This incident marked Swiss International Air Lines' first fatal accident since its establishment in 2002 and was also the inaugural fatal event involving the Airbus A220 family since its introduction in 2016.
Investigation
Preliminary inquiry revealed that the engine failure stemmed from a previously unidentified defect, specifically a fracture in the main shaft of the left engine. The functionality of the crew's protective breathing equipment (PBE) was also examined, as Swiss had initiated a replacement program for these devices in October 2023 due to operational difficulties, with completion anticipated by early 2025.
Criticism arose regarding the conduct of the Austrian Federal Safety Investigation Authority (SUB), particularly concerning a seven-day delay before officially categorizing the event as an "accident," despite a crew member's death potentially linked to oxygen deprivation caused by malfunctioning PBE masks.
Passengers from a prior Austrian Airlines flight lodged a criminal complaint alleging that SUB attempted to minimize the severity of the Swiss incident and mishandled critical evidence—PBE masks were reportedly transported in an "unidentified garbage bag" and left unsecured, raising serious concerns about evidence integrity. Graz prosecutors have launched an investigation into possible involuntary manslaughter and bodily harm charges related to this case. The complaint also referenced SUB's purported tendency to downplay incidents; SUB has denied these allegations.
On 17 March 2025, the Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology released the Written Preliminary Report concerning the accident.