Introduction
On 1 January 1962, a Swissair Caravelle SE-210, registered HB-ICY and named "Ville de Lausanne", operated flight SR 215 from Düsseldorf to Zürich. The aircraft departed Düsseldorf at 2122 GMT, delayed from its scheduled departure, with a crew of eight and 17 passengers on board. The captain, born in 1930, held a valid airline transport pilot license and had approximately 4,700 total flight hours, including about 700 hours on the Caravelle. The crew also included two copilots, one of whom was in training, two stewards, and three hostesses.
Flight and Weather Conditions
The flight proceeded normally, but weather at Zurich-Kloten had deteriorated due to heavy snowfall since midday. The airport was closed from 2000 to 2200 GMT for snow clearing. At 2220 GMT, the reported weather included wind from 30° at 3 knots, visibility 1,800 meters, moderate snowfall, cloud base at 500 feet, temperature 0°C, and QNH 1008 mb. The runway 16, 3,700 meters long and 60 meters wide (excluding 7.5 m shoulders), was covered with about 2 cm of wet snow. Snow banks 50–75 cm high on both sides reduced the usable width to approximately 50 meters. Runway condition was reported as poor braking action, with a layer of wet snow. The captain received several NOTAMs and weather updates before departure.
Approach and Landing
The aircraft was the fourth in a sequence of arrivals delayed by the snow clearing. At 2221 GMT, the captain began an ILS approach, using the autopilot to demonstrate its operation to the copilot in training. At about 1850 feet (approximately 140 meters above ground), the copilot reported visual contact with the runway, noting the aircraft was slightly right of centerline. The captain disengaged the autopilot at about 1,800 feet and corrected right. The correction was excessive, requiring a counter-correction to realign with the centerline. The aircraft crossed the runway threshold at normal speed (129 knots, reducing to 114 knots at touchdown).
At 2225 GMT, the aircraft touched down approximately 550 meters past the threshold, slightly left of the centerline. The captain attempted to align the aircraft with the runway direction, but the slippery surface prevented effective steering. The aircraft veered left and struck the snow bank on the left side, then was steered back onto the runway but subsequently veered right, penetrating the right snow bank. It came to rest about 1,600 meters from the runway threshold and 10 meters outside the right edge of the runway, still on its landing gear but with substantial damage. The runway lighting sustained minor damage. All occupants were uninjured.
Investigation
The investigation, initiated on 12 January 1962, found no technical defects with the aircraft, its brakes, or steering systems. The runway conditions during the landing included wet snow and reduced width due to snow banks. No causal factors were explicitly identified in the report.