Flames were seen spitting out the back of the engine of a SWISS International Air Lines Airbus A330 as it started to accelerate along the runway for takeoff at Boston Logan Airport on Tuesday after the plane suffered a sudden engine failure.
Aircraft and flight details
- Aircraft type: Airbus A330-300
- Registration: HB-JHM
- Flight number: LX-55
- Route: Boston Logan (BOS) – Zurich (ZRH)
- Engines: 2x Rolls-Royce Trent 772
The incident was caught on camera by planespotters as SWISS flight LX-55, bound for Zurich, Switzerland, started its takeoff roll from runway 22R at Boston Logan on September 16.
As the Airbus A330 aircraft started moving along the runway, flames suddenly erupted from the back of the right engine, followed by a thick plume of dark smoke.
Thankfully, the flames and smoke quickly subsided as the pilots rejected the takeoff and the aircraft came to a stop on the runway.
The pilots apparently didn’t initially realize how serious the situation was and, at first, told air traffic control that they didn’t require any assistance. When, however, they were informed about the presence of smoke, they shut down both engines and waited on the runway for the airport fire service to arrive and check the plane over.
Despite the dramatic sight of flames and smoke, the plane was cleared to return to the gate under its own power just 15 minutes later, where the passengers were deplaned.
In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) commented: “The crew of SWISS Flight 55 stopped their takeoff at Boston Logan International Airport due to engine issues around 6:25 p.m. local time on Tuesday, Sept. 16.”
“The FAA briefly paused some arrivals to the airport before the plane taxied off the runway. The FAA will investigate.”
The 12-year-old aircraft remains stranded at Boston Logan Airport. SWISS says an investigation into exactly what caused the engine failure is still underway.
