Following the emergency landing of a Swiss airline aircraft at Graz Airport, a severely injured crew member remained in intensive care on Tuesday. Another crew member was also still hospitalized in Graz, according to a statement by the airline about the incident on Monday evening. The statement noted that all hospitalized passengers have since been discharged from the hospital. The Swiss team is providing on-site support for their relatives.
After experiencing engine problems and smoke in the cockpit and cabin, the aircraft, carrying 79 people—74 passengers and five crew members—was forced to make an emergency landing at Graz Airport. The flight in question was LX1885, traveling from Bucharest to Zurich. Swiss stated its commitment to fully investigating the incident and supporting the authorities in their inquiries. However, due to ongoing investigations, only limited information could be provided. The affected aircraft, an Airbus A220-300 with the registration HB-JCD, has been removed from the runway, and Graz Airport has resumed operations.
Passenger Repatriation
A special flight, LX7385, departed Graz at 9:45 a.m. on Tuesday and landed in Zurich around midday, carrying 63 passengers from flight LX1885. Swiss’s care team is assisting passengers still in Graz, focusing on psychological support and addressing individual needs such as onward travel arrangements.
A passenger described the incident in a video interview with Kleine Zeitung, stating that she was awakened by a noise and then smelled smoke. “It was a strange noise, a lot of smoke, and people couldn’t breathe. I didn’t know what was happening,” she said. She panicked but tried to remain calm. The pilot then announced that an emergency landing would be made. Other passengers reported seeing an explosion and fire in the engine.
Debate Over Lack of Oxygen Masks
The aviation website Austrian Wings addressed discussions on social media about why oxygen masks were not deployed during the Swiss flight. The masks are designed for sudden cabin pressure loss and would not be suitable for smoke in the cabin. Oxygen masks do not provide an airtight seal and also allow ambient air to be inhaled, which could cause smoke particles to penetrate deeply into the lungs. If the smoke was caused by a fire, oxygen flow could act as an accelerant and worsen the fire, according to Austrian Wings.
