Deadly misfortune in Graz: Defects in Swiss flight attendants training revealed!

Deadly misfortune in Graz: Defects in Swiss flight attendants training revealed!

Graz, Österreich - On June 6, 2025, a shocking report on the fatal emergency landing of a Swiss aircraft was published, in which serious defects in dealing with respiratory protection masks came to the public. The publication took place as part of a comprehensive investigation by the Swiss Investigation Center for Flight Accidents (Sust). In the incident that occurred on December 23, 2024, a 23-year-old flight attendant died after the aircraft had to make an emergency landing due to considerable engine problems and smoke development in the cabin

The Airbus A220 with the registration HB-JCD was on a flight from Bucharest to Zurich when the problems occurred. There were a total of 74 passengers and five crew members on board. The pilots wore Full Face oxygen masks, while the flight attendants were dependent on Smokehoods, but they had already been identified as faulty in advance. A lack of adequate training in dealing with these smoke protection hoods was found, since the crew members were only trained with dummies that differed from the actual models.

defects in respiratory protection masks

The defects in the Smokehoods are alarming. In the summer of 2023 there were already complaints about difficulties in unpacking and creating these protection devices. According to reports, the crew members needed up to three minutes to put the masks into operation, which could be catastrophic in the event of an emergency. In addition, several masks were defective, which was classified as a significant security risk.

Although Swiss was informed about the problems and started replacing the smoke protection hoods in 2023, this process was not yet complete until the time of the emergency landing. During the incident, old models were on board that did not meet the current standards. The Sust found that the crew was not sufficiently prepared for such critical emergencies, which led to the tragic consequences.

training and training of flight attendants

The incidents also take a light on the training of flight attendants, which usually play an important role in ensuring flight safety. The training includes emergency reactions, passenger care and security measures and is necessary to work in this profession. The prerequisites include flowing language skills in German and English as well as completed school education.

In Germany, the duration and the costs of the training varies depending on the provider. For example, the costs can be between 3,000 and 10,000 euros and the training period between 6 and 12 weeks is. The content of the training is comprehensive and include security and emergency measures. The scope of the incidents at Swiss underlines the need for qualified and effective training to ensure security in air traffic.

The shocking details of this incident and the defects in the training of the crew can be interpreted as a call to improve the standards in the industry. The loss of a boy not only raises questions about security in aviation, but also to the responsibility of the airlines, which should be fundamental to the well -being of their employees and passengers.

For more information about the incident and the associated investigations, the articles from 5min.at and Austrianwings.info as well as general information on the training of flight companions on Neu- Trübildungberufe.de are read.