Swiss Air A330 engine failure forces emergency evacuation at Delhi airport

This is a preliminary report issued by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of the Ministry of Civil Aviation regarding a serious incident involving a Swiss International Air Lines Airbus A330-343 at Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, on 26 April 2026. It matters to citizens as it documents a rejected take-off due to engine failure that resulted in an emergency evacuation and injuries to four passengers.

Who it concerns: Swiss International Air Lines Ltd. (operator), the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the 245 persons on board (13 crew, 232 passengers), and international aviation authorities including STSB (Switzerland), BEA (France), BFU (Germany), and AAIB (UK).

What the investigators found

• The incident occurred on 26 April 2026 at 01:27 IST during the take-off roll of flight LX147 from Delhi to Zurich.
• The aircraft (HB-JHK) experienced a rejected take-off due to one engine failure (Engine #1, Left Hand) after reaching a maximum speed of approximately 106 knots.
• Four passengers sustained injuries during the emergency evacuation; no crew members were injured.
• Visual inspection found small metal particles/debris at the exhaust section of Engine #1 and soot/burn marks on the engine pylon.
• Borescope inspection revealed damage to High Pressure Turbine (HPT) blades, Nozzle Guide Vanes (NGV), Intermediate Pressure Turbine (IPT) blades, Low Pressure Turbine (LPT) blades, and High Pressure Compressor (HPC) blades/stator vanes.
• The High Pressure (HP) and Intermediate Pressure (IP) shafts were seized, preventing full inspection and identification of the cause of failure via borescope.
• There was no evidence of an uncontained engine failure, and no damage was observed on the aircraft structure other than minor dents from emergency slide deployment.
• Flight data and cockpit voice recorders were removed and are currently being analyzed.
• The investigation was ordered under Rule 11(1) of the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2025, with the objective of accident prevention rather than apportioning blame.

Also in the document

• The aircraft had 65,563:20 total flight hours and the involved left-hand engine had 75,524:48 hours since new.
• The last major inspection (C-Check) for the airframe was performed on 31 March 2025.
• The last engine overhaul for the involved left-hand engine was on 30 May 2016.
• Weather conditions at the time of the incident included haze, with visibility between 4,000 and 4,500 meters and calm to light winds.
• The previous flight (LX146 Zurich to Delhi) was uneventful, and seven generic passenger complaints were addressed prior to the incident flight.