- A Swiss Worldwide Air Traces pilot began feeling unwell mid-journey.
- The flight from Zurich to Miami then rotated over the Atlantic.
- A return flight from Florida to Switzerland was additionally canceled as a result of the plane was diverted.
Swiss Worldwide Air Traces passengers endured a four-hour flight to nowhere after a pilot fell in poor health.
Two hours after flight LX66 left Zurich for Miami on Monday, it U-turned over the Atlantic Ocean about 300 miles off the French coast, in response to Flightradar24 information.
“One of many pilots didn’t really feel totally match after beginning the flight,” an airline spokesperson instructed Enterprise Insider. “As a precautionary measure, the cockpit crew determined to not proceed the flight and as a substitute returned to Zurich Airport.”
There have been 123 passengers on board the flight, which landed again in Zurich at 2:24 p.m. native time — some 4 hours after departure.
The Swiss spokesperson added that the fireplace division was standing by, which was commonplace process provided that the Airbus A330 was touchdown at a higher-than-normal weight.
The plane had sufficient gasoline for a 10-hour flight, however lacked a fuel-dump system.
A diverted flight shouldn’t be solely irritating for the passengers on board, however may have knock-on results on different journeys. Individuals scheduled to fly on the identical A330 from Miami to Zurich afterward Monday had their flight canceled.
“We have now rebooked the affected passengers onto different connections and wish to sincerely apologize for the inconvenience induced,” the airline spokesperson stated.
They added that Swiss would cowl bills for passengers’ resort lodging, taxi rides, meals, and cellphone calls till the following doable departure, rebook freed from cost, or cancel the journey with a full refund.