What happened
On January 28, 2017, at approximately 15:57 UTC, an Airbus A330-243, registered as B-6533, was operating a scheduled international passenger flight from Beijing to Geneva. While the aircraft was in its descent phase toward Geneva Airport, the crew experienced a significant failure in the aircraft's green hydraulic system. The incident involved a large-scale leak originating from the pressurized lines associated with the number two engine.
There were no fatalities or injuries among the 211 passengers or the 13 crew members on board. The aircraft sustained damage specifically to the green hydraulic system, but no damage was reported to persons or property on the ground.
The investigation
The Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (SUST) opened an investigation into the serious incident on January 31, 2017. The inquiry focused on identifying the source of the hydraulic fluid loss and determining if any operational or systemic failures contributed to the event.
During the course of the investigation, it was determined that the primary cause was a mechanical failure within the engine's hydraulic lines. The investigation was eventually closed after it was established that the safety deficiency had already been addressed by the aircraft manufacturer. Because the issue was resolved through manufacturer-led corrective actions rather than through operational or organizational changes, the SUST concluded that further investigation would yield limited preventative value.