Last week, a SWISS flight had an emergency landing, leaving a flight attendant hospitalized and in critical condition. There’s now a tragic update, as that flight attendant has passed away. 2024 sure isn’t ending on a good note when it comes to aviation safety…
In this post:
SWISS A220 diverts to Graz due to smoke onboard
This incident happened on Monday, December 23, 2024, and involves SWISS flight LX1885, scheduled to operate from Bucharest, Romania (OTP), to Zurich, Switzerland (ZRH). The 866-mile flight was operated by a seven-year-old Airbus A220-300 with the registration code HB-JCD, and had 79 people onboard, including 74 passengers and five crew members.
A little over an hour after takeoff, while cruising at 40,000 feet, there were engine problems onboard, and smoke developed in the cockpit and cabin. It’s believed that this issue involved the left hand engine, and that an oil leak caused the smoke, and then there was an uncontained engine failure.
The pilots made the decision to divert to Graz, Austria (GRZ). Within 20 minutes of an emergency having been declared, the plane landed at the airport on runway 34.
The situation was so serious that a helicopter immediately positioned onto the runway, to take a flight attendant to a local hospital, where he went into the intensive care unit. A total of 17 people onboard ended up being hospitalized, including both of the other flight attendants, plus the pilots. Three days later, all three flight attendants were still in the hospital.
The following morning, a replacement aircraft was sent to Graz. The initial aircraft from the incident is still on the ground there, with the engine reportedly being replaced.
SWISS flight attendant passes away in hospital
Unfortunately there’s a really sad update. On Monday, December 30, 2024, SWISS confirmed that the flight attendant who was airlifted has lost his life in the hospital. This was revealed in social media posts, as the airline also greyed out the logo on its various channels.
How terrible. My thoughts are with his family and friends, and may he rest in peace. It’s all the worse to think that this happened right around the holidays, which is a special time for so many families.
It’s believed that the flight attendant who lost his life had collapsed while trying to find the source of smoke, and protect others onboard. In these kinds of situations, it’s normal for crew members to put on protective breathing equipment. It’s not known if that wasn’t functioning properly, or what. Obviously even in a situation where there’s smoke in the cabin, it shouldn’t lead to fatalities.
The airline is now carefully investigating the entire event, including the initial cause of smoke, plus how the flight attendant lost his life.
Here’s what SWISS CEO Jens Fehlinger had to say:
“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. I offer them my heartfelt condolences on behalf of all of us at SWISS. And we will, of course, be doing everything in our power to help and support them at this extremely difficult time.”
Meanwhile here’s what SWISS COO Oliver Buchhofer had to say:
“This is the saddest of days for us all. 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. We have many questions, and we want them answered. Our special thanks go to the responsible parties in Graz, particularly the local emergency services, who have given our passengers and our crew members such professional help and support.”
Bottom line
A SWISS flight attendant has lost his life, following an emergency landing on a December 23 flight from Bucharest to Zurich. It’s believed that an engine failure caused smoke in the cabin, and that the flight attendant ended up losing consciousness and collapsing. Despite being airlifted to the hospital, he lost his life, passing away several days later. How sad…
Et tu,A220?
They do have smoke masks onboard for the flight attendants to use. Perhaps, he chose not to use one or just thought he could manage without one. Nonetheless, it is sad to lose anyone; passenger or crew. I hope he is resting in peace in Heaven and the other crew members and passengers are all OK.
May his soul rest in peace, and his family and other loved ones find solace in knowing he lost his life protecting others. I hope the same for his coworkers who must be suffering as well.
A horrible end of the year for the industry...
Very sorry to hear the news of the demise of the young FA of Swiss. Swiss belongs to LH group. Swiss and LH are collectively responsible. also the engineer who certified the aircraft fit for take off and the engineering dept (Engine overhaul division) are also responsible for facing this unfortunate incident. why the engine started malfuntioning and the smoke came out. The proximate cause warranting a need to get hospitalized is due to "severe...
Very sorry to hear the news of the demise of the young FA of Swiss. Swiss belongs to LH group. Swiss and LH are collectively responsible. also the engineer who certified the aircraft fit for take off and the engineering dept (Engine overhaul division) are also responsible for facing this unfortunate incident. why the engine started malfuntioning and the smoke came out. The proximate cause warranting a need to get hospitalized is due to "severe inhalation" of smoke. If the equipment to protect from the adverse effect of the inhalation was due to malfunction or lack of equipment in the flight the management of swiss and LH should be held responsible for this tragic incident. Since the incident happened in
domestic flight within EU, an attorney in EU should prosecute
LH, Swiss, the engineer who certified and engine over haul dept who
does periodic maintenance of the engines after the aircraft flight completes certain no of hours and miles as per log book. all these factors should be taken into account. they should pay salary of the FA from date of accident till date of his superannuation (date of his normal retirement) his provident funds and employers matching
contribution, gratuity and for the family's mental anguish, emotional distress, all his hospital bills and if he is the only bread winner
(earning member) in the family, his spouse should be given an
employment on the ground or if he has an adult son he should be
given employment as and when he is ready to take up.
Truly tragic :(
I feel so sad to see this happen.
Where did you get that they had an uncontained engine failure? Do you know what that means?
The word "uncontained" caught my attention as well. That would basically mean the engine exploded (at least partially) and threw shrapnel all around. I cannot find any report of LX1885 and the word "uncontained".
Ok, apparently this source mentions "uncontained" but does not really explain what about the engine failure was uncontained:
"According to information The Aviation Herald received the left hand engine suffered an oil leak causing the smoke, the engine seized as result of an uncontained failure leading to the suspicion that the main shaft might be fractured. The engine is being replaced."
https://avherald.com/h?article=521ec68d
Really? This is beyond tragic.
Swiss and smoke?
Swiss (Swissair 111) lost a whole aircraft bc of smoke. There were no survivors.
"Swiss (Swissair 111) lost a whole aircraft bc of smoke."
Actually, it was because of fire.
Damn, awful. RIP.
This is what, the 5th airline incident in 3 weeks?!?...What is going on???
It is very sad to hear of the dead of the flightattendant. Plesse jnvestigate the following.
In 2023 Swiss discovered that most of the protective breathing equipment was faulty. Swiss assured that this equipment would be replaced within months. In Swiss newspaper we can read that in this plane were still old and faulty masks. Swiss has obviously failed to replace it. Most probably because of unwillingness to pay some $ and post higher profits.
What did you read it in ? The Daily Mail or Facebook ?
Swiss’s oldest A220s were delivered in 2018.
How do you expect Ben to conduct an investigation? lol
What evidence do you have relating to faulty masks ? Airlines are mandated to conduct frequent tests.
He's right. Google Swiss replacement of PBE (protective breathing equipment) and you'll see there's a press release last year suggesting Swiss had found many of them to be faulty and that they would be replaced over the coming months. According to Swiss newspaper 20minutes, the masks hadn't yet been replaced on HB-JCD.
More LH Group cost cutting.
I wonder if the counterfeit engine parts sold by AOG Technics has something to do with these engine failures.
Tragic :(
:( so sad