What happened
On 20 February 2001, a Swissair Airbus A321-111, registration HB-IOC, was operating a scheduled commercial flight from London Heathrow to Geneva. During the cruise phase at FL290, the flight and cabin crews heard a loud bang. While engine parameters initially appeared normal, the situation deteriorated during the descent into Geneva.
As the aircraft approached runway 05, the crew noted increasing and fluctuating vibrations and Exhaust Gas Temperature (EGT) in the right-hand engine. A loss of engine power occurred, requiring corrective rudder input. During the landing and flare, a crew member positioned near the runway observed flames emanating from the engine. Following the landing, an "ENG #2 OIL FILTER CLOGGED" warning illuminated, prompting the crew to shut down the right engine.
Upon instruction from Geneva Apron, the aircraft stopped on a taxiway. The crew discharged both engine fire extinguisher bottles, and the fire brigade arrived to cool the engine. Once the fire was extinguished and the engine cooled, the captain directed passengers to disembark via stairs on the taxiway. There were no injuries among the 85 passengers or 7 crew members.