Emergency Landing in Graz: 17 Injured on Bucharest-Zurich Flight

SWISS flight LX1885 from Bucharest to Zurich made an emergency landing at Graz airport in Austria after smoke was detected on board, Swiss Airlines said in an update published overnight.

All 74 passengers and 5 crew members were evacuated, with 17 requiring medical attention. A special flight will depart tomorrow at 09:45 (no. 10:45 in Romania) to take the passengers to Zurich, Hotnews.ro reports.

The German publication Tagesschau reports that the Airbus A220-300 plane experienced engine problems and smoke in the cockpit and cabin. As a result, an unscheduled emergency landing was made in Graz, Austria. One crew member in serious condition.

“The plane landed safely. All passengers were evacuated from the plane,” a company representative said. “We are following with concern the condition of a flight crew member who was transported by helicopter to the hospital in Graz. His condition is currently unclear,” he added. According to a statement from the Departmental Police in the Austrian state of Styria, where Graz is located, one crew member suffered serious injuries and needs to be treated in intensive care, while the rest of the people who needed medical attention have minor injuries, the Austrian publication Kurier reports.

According to the police, the two pilots, two crew members and 13 passengers were transported to the hospital for medical care. The plane was en route from Bucharest to Zurich when smoke was reported. There were 74 passengers and five crew members on board.

The affected people were initially cared for and supervised by the crisis intervention team at Graz Airport. A passenger reported on platform X that the evacuation was “calm” and “professional”.

Smoke suddenly rose in the plane, a witness told the Swiss publication 20minutes. “We were told to take the emergency landing position, then the plane was evacuated to Graz,” the witness said.

Despite the smoke, no oxygen masks fell, forcing passengers to protect themselves from the smoke. An official explained that no oxygen masks were lowered because oxygen could worsen the situation in the event of a fire. At the time of the evacuation, one crew member, who had previously put on a protective mask, was unconscious. “I helped a flight attendant bring her colleague down,” the witness said. The crew then began CPR, and the man was transported by helicopter shortly after.

The aircraft remained safely on the runway at Graz Airport. However, no further departures or landings were planned at Graz Airport for Monday evening, airport spokeswoman Doris Poelt said at the request of the Austrian agency APA, reports the Austrian publication Der Standard.

The airport in the capital of Styria was informed of the unscheduled landing in the evening. The plane managed to land safely. An evacuation was then carried out, in which the airport’s firefighters were also involved, Poelt said. It was initially unclear what caused the smoke in the cockpit and cabin.

Swiss Airlines stressed that it was working closely with the Austrian authorities to clarify the cause of the incident. The aircraft in question was an Airbus A220 with the registration number HB-JCD. The aircraft is part of Swiss Airlines’ short-haul fleet, according to the airline’s website. It has a capacity of 145 seats.