An aircraft of the Swiss International Air Lines (Swiss) had to abort a launch on 16 September 2025 at Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) From one of the engines of the Airbus A330-300 Smoke and flames shot out briefly, as eyewitnesses recorded in a video.
The plane, which had 223 passengers and 13 crew members on board, immediately returned to the gate. Although the plane remained grounded in Boston for further investigation, the passengers were able to continue their journey that evening on a replacement plane. The incident, which was also reported by US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigated, raises questions about the cause of the problem, as an official explanation is still pending.
The spectacular aborted takeoff
The flight LX55 is Swiss is a daily connection from Boston to Zurich. On Tuesday evening, September 16, the aircraft with the registration HB-JHM At 17:05 local time, the plane was scheduled to take off towards Switzerland. During the takeoff attempt at 18:25, the following incident occurred: The right Rolls-Royce Trent 700The plane's engine suddenly emitted smoke and flames. According to the US television station, the crew heard NBC a loud bang, but was not aware of the visual effects until she was informed by air traffic control.
The pilots reacted immediately and aborted takeoff. The passengers were able to leave the aircraft via the normal stairs after returning to the gate. The airport fire department was alerted and escorted the aircraft along the taxiway. US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that incoming air traffic on the runway had to be interrupted briefly before the aircraft left the runway again.
A spokesman for the Swiss stated that the exact cause of the engine problem is still being investigated. However, he pointed out that in the event of an engine problem, a flame may be briefly visible. This is a well-known phenomenon in engine malfunctions, in which unburned kerosene continues to burn in the engine exhaust. Despite the dramatic circumstances, there were no injuries in the incident.
Quick solution for passengers
The passengers of flight LX55 could breathe a sigh of relief when the airline found a solution relatively quickly. Since the affected aircraft had to remain grounded for further investigations, the Swiss A replacement machine was immediately available. This was another Airbus A330-300 with the registration HB-JHBAccording to the portal “Aviation Herald“This plane was already in Boston. It had arrived on September 14 and remained there for unknown reasons. Swiss-plane can be used for the return flight to Zurich.
The passengers took off with a delay of over five hours and landed in Zurich the next morning at 11:34 a.m. The fact that the replacement aircraft was already at the airport in Boston prevented an even longer delay that would have been caused by a ferry flight of a replacement aircraft from Switzerland.
The aircraft: maintenance and background
The Airbus A330-300 with the registration HB-JHM was put into service in 2009 and has since been an important part of the Swisslong-haul fleet. The exact cause of the engine problem is still unknown. FAA has launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the incident. Commercial aircraft engines are subject to strict maintenance intervals and regular checks to ensure operational safety. Engine problems such as this can have various causes, including foreign object damage (FOD), material fatigue or electronic malfunctions.
The fact that the engine flared only briefly and the pilots were able to abort the takeoff immediately demonstrates that the safety systems and emergency procedures functioned flawlessly. In the event of an aborted takeoff, the pilot's job is to bring the aircraft to a stop as quickly as possible. Reverse thrust, brakes, and spoilers are used for this purpose. After an aborted takeoff, the aircraft is towed from the runway, and the fire department examines the engine for damage. The Boston incident is a good example of how aviation safety precautions work in practice to defuse potentially dangerous situations.