SWISS Delhi–Zurich flight aborted after engine fire

SWISS flight LX147 aborted takeoff at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport early on April 26 after an engine problem during the takeoff roll. (newsroom.swiss.com) (cnbc.com) The aircraft was an Airbus A330, registration HB-JHK, operating from Delhi to Zurich with 228 passengers, four infants and 13 crew members on board. (newsroom.swiss.com) (cnbc.com) SWISS said the issue happened shortly after 1 a.m. local time, and the crew rejected the takeoff before deciding to evacuate the aircraft as a precaution. (newsroom.swiss.com) The Times of India reported the jet had accelerated to 104 knots, about 193 kilometers per hour, when engine number one failed and caught fire. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) Evacuations at that speed are rare because pilots first have to stop the aircraft on the runway, assess the risk and then decide whether slides are safer than keeping passengers seated. (newsroom.swiss.com) (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) SWISS initially said six passengers were receiving medical attention, then revised the toll to four passengers in hospital and one cabin crew member with a sprained ankle. (newsroom.swiss.com) (cnbc.com) For a small number of people who could not use the emergency slides, stairs were brought to the aircraft, according to the airline. (newsroom.swiss.com) Delhi Airport said it declared a full emergency for flight LX147 on Runway 28/10 and carried out prescribed safety procedures while evacuating passengers. (news18.com) The runway was closed for about three hours until the aircraft was removed, according to The Times of India, though the airport said overall operations remained unaffected. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) (news18.com) India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is investigating the engine failure, and SWISS said it has set up a task force, rebooked travelers and accommodated them in hotels. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) (newsroom.swiss.com) The flight never left Delhi, and the inquiry now turns on a narrow question: what exactly went wrong in the engine just as LX147 was about to get airborne. (newsroom.swiss.com) (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)