"A black day"

Swiss crew member dies in hospital

The Swiss aircraft that made an emergency landing in Graz.

(Bild: Jauschowetz Christian)

One week after the emergency landing of a Swiss aircraft at Graz Airport, a crew member who had been in a critical condition in intensive care since 23 December has died at Graz Regional Hospital. The Swiss airline made the announcement on Monday and mourned the loss of a "dear colleague".

"It is with great sadness that we have to announce that we have lost a dear colleague following the emergency landing of LX1885 on December 23, 2024. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the family and loved ones of our colleague at this difficult time," the airline wrote on X (formerly Twitter) late on Monday evening.

The Swiss airline announced that the relatives of the deceased were being cared for by Swiss specialists in Graz. A second crew member, who was also last treated at Graz University Hospital, has since been able to leave the hospital.

Search for cause top priority
Swiss CEO Jens Fehlinger was "deeply saddened and stunned", while his Executive Board colleague Oliver Buchhofer, who is responsible for operations, said: "It is a dark day for all of us." He emphasized that the company is now doing everything it can "to find the causes together with the responsible authorities. We have many questions and want answers to them."

The exact cause of the smoke has not yet been determined: "We want to fully clarify the causes of the smoke and the effects on passengers and our crew. Such investigations are time-consuming and require access to all data and technical information. This is not yet the case, as the authorities in Austria have been entrusted with the primary investigation," said Swiss.

Based on the initial findings, a technical defect in one of the engines is still likely to be the cause. "Until we have reliable information, we ask for your understanding that we cannot provide any further details at the moment. Speculation is dubious in such cases," the statement continued.

Graz public prosecutor's office investigating
The public prosecutor's office in Graz has opened an investigation to clarify the cause of the accident. As spokesperson for the authorities Hansjörg Bacher explained, an aviation expert has been appointed. The expert is to determine why the aircraft, which had taken off from Bucharest, produced so much smoke that the flight had to be aborted. The case is currently being investigated for negligent bodily harm, whereby the final criminal assessment will depend largely on the results of the expert's report. An autopsy of the deceased has also been ordered.

Linda described the minutes before the emergency landing to the "Krone".

(Bild: Jauschowetz Christian)

"Only a baby and his mother were crying"
There were 74 passengers and five crew members on board the Airbus A220-300 en route to Zurich when the incident occurred on the evening of December 23. The pilot had made the mayday emergency call and completed an emergency landing in Graz.

"It was extremely quiet on the plane. Only one baby and his mother were crying. The passengers held hands and prayed. The crew did a great job", reported Linda, an American, to the "Krone" on Christmas Eve during a local inspection at Graz Airport.

The passengers had been evacuated from the plane via slides. "We've had forced landings before, but we've never had an operation of this magnitude," said Jürgen Löschnig, Managing Director of Graz Airport. A total of 17 injured people - four crew members and 13 passengers - had to be taken to hospital.