A Swiss International Air Lines transatlantic flight bound for Zurich was forced to make an emergency diversion to the Azores early Tuesday morning after declaring an emergency in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
TERCEIRA, Azores — Swiss Flight LX9, operated by a Boeing 777-300ER (registration HB-JNF), departed Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) at 19:08 CDT on Monday, August 24, for what was scheduled to be an eight-hour and 45-minute flight to Zurich Airport (ZRH).
After taking off from Runway 10L, the widebody aircraft initially climbed to a cruising altitude of 35,000 feet before stepping up to 37,000 feet as it began its journey across the Atlantic.
Roughly four and a half hours into the flight, while isolated over the open ocean, the crew transmitted a squawk code 7700 to declare a general onboard emergency. Flight tracking data shows the Boeing 777 executing a sharp right turn, turning away from its northern oceanic track and setting a course directly toward the Azores archipelago.
The aircraft safely landed on Runway 33 at Lajes Air Base (TER) on the island of Terceira early Tuesday morning, local time. Total flight time from Chicago to the diversion point came to just over six hours.
Lajes Field, a joint military-civilian airport, is a primary emergency diversion airfield for transatlantic widebody operations due to its long runways and strategic position in the North Atlantic.
Ground crews in Terceira are evaluating the aircraft, and the flight is tentatively scheduled to resume its journey to Zurich later Tuesday afternoon, pending confirmation and clearance.
UPDATE
The Boeing 777 was carrying 222 passengers and 16 crew members diverted to TER due to a chemical odour onboard.
