Just after 1 a.m., Swiss flight 147 from Delhi to Zurich began its takeoff roll on runway 28/10. The Airbus A3303-00 was carrying 228 passengers and four infants. As it reached 104 – 105 knots, the takeoff went bad. The left side Rolls Royce Trent 772 engine reportedly gave a loud bang and failed. The crew rejected the takeoff, brought the aircraft to a stop on the runway, and called for emergency services.
Smoke was reported around the left side of the aircraft. The left engine failed. Overheated brakes caused smoke and possible fire. A fire truck sprayed the left main gear, slides were deployed, and passengers evacuated on the runway. Six passengers required medical attention, with two having serious leg fractures from the evacuation.
— Ishan Jain (@JainIshan316) April 25, 2026
Most commentary on the incident focuses on passengers taking their bags with them during the evacuation, filming, and pausing for selfies on and after reaching the bottom of the slides.
That’s a problem because it slows down evacuation, and risks passenger lives. You want everyone off and away from the plane as quickly as possible. At the same time, virtually every suggested response to this fails.
- Locking overhead bins so people don’t slow down to take more belongings likely slows things down more as passengers fight the bins, rather than realizing immediately that they won’t be able to get in and skipping the bins entirely.
- Punishing this passenger behavior isn’t likely to be focal enough that future passengers will know about the consequences, internalize them, and have that top of mind as adrenaline pumps during the evacuation.
The most important thing about safety planning is to model passengers as they actually are, rather than how you want them to be. What are the messages that work during emergency prep?
Kudos to the pilots who addressed the serious failure, rejecting takeoff, stopping the aircraft on the runway, and the full crew for getting everyone off with only the most modest of injuries.
This would’ve never happened if He was allowed to build that big, beautiful ballroom… oh, evacuating an… ‘airplane,’ ah, got it… nevermind. Whoopsie.
So, obviously, rolly carry-on huge no-no. Where are we on purses, murses, satchels, and pet-carriers? Are the service animals allowed to evacuate, or must they stay behind to burn alive?
I would say we need the FBI to investigate, but I think bulgy eyes is about to get poop-canned. Anyway, thank you for your attention to this matter.