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SWISS investigates fatal cabin smoke incident on Airbus A220

SWISS investigates fatal cabin smoke incident on Airbus A220
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Airbus A380 | Airbus

A SWISS flight attendant has died following an emergency landing due to smoke in the cabin of a SWISS Airbus A220. The incident occurred on December 23rd during flight LX1885 from Bucharest to Zurich, which was forced to land in Graz after smoke filled the cabin. Upon landing, two flight attendants and ten passengers were hospitalized, with one attendant admitted to critical care. The airline confirmed that this individual passed away on December 30th.

SWISS CEO Jens Fehlinger expressed deep sorrow over the loss: "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."

The affected aircraft carried 74 passengers and five crew members, all evacuated via inflatable slides upon landing. The unconscious flight attendant was transported by helicopter to Graz Hospital.

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SWISS Chief Operating Officer Oliver Buchhofer shared his distress: "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 is investigating the incident alongside relevant authorities, including engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney. Preliminary findings suggest a technical problem with one of the engines may have been responsible for the smoke event.

Reports from Av Herald indicate an oil leak from the left-hand engine led to an uncontained engine failure. This aligns with passenger accounts of hearing an explosion.

Additionally, SWISS is examining whether protective breathing equipment used by crew members functioned properly during the incident. The airline had previously ordered a review of certain models after issues arose during past incidents.

The Airbus A220-300 involved remains grounded in Graz pending further investigation and repairs.

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