SWISS diverted the LX16 flight Maine diversion to Bangor International Airport on Monday after smoke was reported inside the Airbus A330. The plane, carrying 208 people on the way from Zurich to John F. Kennedy International Airport, landed safely around noon.
Daniel Eising, one of the passengers, said, "I was seated behind the section in business class so it was in front of me it was happening. Got kind of intense for five minutes. The pilots were very professional," and passengers said they did not have to evacuate on the runway or use oxygen masks.
Bangor International Airport runway
The emergency landing closed the Bangor runway for a time and delayed other flights on Monday before it reopened. SWISS said crews in Switzerland and the United States were working to arrange onward travel for passengers, and at last check some were still waiting for another SWISS flight to take them on to New York.
FAA and SWISS findings
The FAA said crew reported a cockpit fire before landing, while SWISS said the local fire department inspected the aircraft after landing and found no signs of fire or heat. Michael Pelzer, the SWISS spokesperson, said teams were working "at full speed" to arrange onward travel and were coordinating closely with Bangor International Airport.
Passengers described an electrical smell, and Liesl Vince Cruze said, "It was a little scary, we’ve never had that experience before. We prayed and you know we were happy that we had a safe landing. Everyone on the plane was pretty much calm, the crew was very helpful, they gave us an update on the minute," which matched the quick response on board as the airline waited on the next steps. The FAA will investigate the incident.
