What happened
On 2 September 1998, a scheduled flight operated by Swissair departed from New York, USA, bound for Geneva, Switzerland. The aircraft, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11, was carrying 215 passengers and 14 crew members. Approximately 53 minutes into the flight, while cruising at 33,000 feet, the flight crew detected an unusual smell within the cockpit. During their investigation of the odor, the crew observed something in the area above and behind them, which they eventually identified as smoke originating from the air conditioning system.
In response to the smoke, the crew decided to divert the aircraft. While they initially considered heading toward Boston, they subsequently updated their destination to Halifax International Airport after receiving suggestions from air traffic control regarding Halifax, Nova Scotia.
As the crew prepared for an emergency landing, an undetected fire was spreading through the forward ceiling area of the plane. Roughly 13 minutes after the initial odor was noted, the aircraft experienced a rapid series of system failures. The crew declared an emergency and requested an immediate landing. Shortly after this declaration, all radio communication and radar contact with the aircraft were lost. Approximately five and a half minutes after the loss of contact, the aircraft impacted the ocean roughly five nautical miles southwest of Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia. The crash resulted in 229 fatalities and the total destruction of the aircraft.
Findings
- An uncontained fire was spreading within the overhead area of the forward cabin, which remained undetected by the crew during the diversion process.