A Swiss flight from Zurich to Johannesburg had to turn around on February 11 due to a technical fault with one of the weather radars. The Airbus A340-300, which was already over southern Chad in Central Africa, had been flying for more than five hours at the time. The crew decided to return to Zurich because thunderstorms were expected on the remaining flight route and safe flight control could not be guaranteed.
According to a Swiss spokesperson, the technical irregularity was the reason for the crew's decision. Due to the ongoing weather hazards along the planned route, it was considered safer to turn around. A refueling stop will be made on the return flight to enable a safe landing in Zurich. The Lufthansa Group's operations center is coordinating the next steps in close cooperation with the crew.
The incident shows once again how important technical safety and forward-looking decisions by the crew are for the safety of passengers and aircraft. The Airbus A340-300, which landed in Zurich with a delay after turning around, is around 22 years old and a common model on long-haul flights.
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