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This morning, a SWISS flight departing from Delhi had to perform a high-speed takeoff rejection during its takeoff roll at speeds exceeding 100 knots, because the aircraft’s number one engine (left engine) suffered a failure and was on fire. The crew initiated an emergency evacuation once the aircraft came to a rest on the runway.
The aircraft had 245 people onboard (passengers plus crew), and everyone was able to evacuate the aircraft. However, it is reported that six passengers have been taken to the hospital after suffering injuries.
High Speed Takeoff Rejection Causes Engine Fire
An incident this morning at 
Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) saw an Airbus A330-300 operated by SWISS (flight LX-147) performing a high-speed takeoff rejection due to an engine failure during the takeoff roll. Data from FlightRadar24 indicates that the aircraft had achieved speeds of up to 104 knots before the takeoff was rejected, and according to the Times Of India, the aircraft had 232 passengers, along with 13 crew members onboard.
Reports indicate that all passengers and crew were safely evacuated using the emergency evacuation slides. It is also reported that a few passengers who were unable to use the slides were provided with stairs. Reports further indicate that six passengers were injured and are receiving medical care at a hospital, but it remains unclear as to whether these injuries occurred due to the high-speed rejection, or the fumes from the engine fire, or if it occurred during the evacuation. Meanwhile, local teams deployed are working to provide assistance for the other passengers. This includes helping the passengers with rebooking onto other flights and providing hotel accommodations.
The airport’s Runway 28 was closed due to this incident because the aircraft, along with emergency vehicles and personnel, were blocking the runway. However, as per the traffic movements seen at the airport on FlightRadar24, it appears the runway has since been cleared and has resumed operations. Simple Flying has reached out to SWISS for further comments and information.
Flying The Passengers Back To Zurich
During such incidents, the first priority is always to ensure the passengers and crew are safe and are receiving the necessary care. However, the airline will also be quickly mobilizing teams to facilitate alternative means for passengers to get to their intended destinations. Flight LX-147 was bound for Zurich Airport (ZRH), but it is possible that there could be passengers on that flight with further itineraries connecting onward to other destinations.
Route data shows that between Zurich and Delhi, SWISS operates two daily services using the A330, while Air India also operates four flights per week using the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. Additionally, SWISS also operates a daily flight to the city of Mumbai in India. As such, depending on availability and customer needs, the airline will prioritize to rebook passengers onto these flights. Additionally, where logistically possible, SWISS can also rely on other members of the Lufthansa Group flying to India and Star Alliance operating flights between Europe and India to provide connectivity (depending on last-minute capacity available).
In the meantime, the aircraft will undergo a thorough inspection to evaluate the damage sustained by the engine and any other potential damage that could have been caused by the fire, or the aircraft performing a rejected takeoff at high speeds. Depending on the findings, the airline will decide the best course of action to return the aircraft to an airworthy state. This could potentially see engineers and even parts or components being flown to India. Ultimately, only time will tell when the aircraft will be back in the air.
What Happens When An Aircraft’s Engine Fails: A Pilot’s Perspective
An engine failure in a multi-engine aircraft is a rare event. However, it can still happen.
What Is High-Speed Takeoff Rejection?
Similar to rejecting a landing and performing a go-around, takeoffs can also be rejected due to a number of safety-related reasons. A “Rejected Take Off” (RTO), as the name suggests, is the process in which the crew of an aircraft rolling down the runway decides to apply brakes and not take off anymore, and it can be considered a “high-speed rejection” if the aircraft has exceeded the speed range of 80-100 knots.
However, unlike performing a go-around, which can be done even after touching down on the runway, the ability to reject a takeoff is limited by a number of factors. These include factors such as the speed of the aircraft (particularly V1) and the Acceleration Stop Distance Available (ASDA).
V1 is known as the decision speed, which means that if the aircraft attains the V1 speed during the take-off roll, the pilot has to commit to taking off (even in the case of an engine failure as V2 safety speed will ensure sufficient climb gradient and aircraft controllability can be maintained), while ASDA is the available runway length from the point at which the take-off roll commences, and the remaining length of the runway, plus any additional designated stopway at the end of the runway.
