A Swiss International Air Lines flight bound for Zurich aborted its takeoff at Boston Logan International Airport on Tuesday, September 16, after flames were seen coming from one of its engines. The airline confirmed that “a problem with the right engine during takeoff” forced the crew of Flight 55 to halt the procedure on runway 22R.
Passengers and Crew Safe
According to Swiss International Air Lines, 223 passengers and 13 crew members were onboard at the time of the incident. All were unharmed. “The passengers were able to disembark the aircraft regularly after it had taxied back to the gate,” a spokesperson said. Airport emergency services attended to the aircraft as a precaution.
FAA Briefly Pauses Arrivals
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told local media that the crew stopped the takeoff due to engine issues and that some arriving flights were briefly paused while the runway was cleared. The Massachusetts Port Authority, which manages Logan Airport, said the plane “returned to Logan for a report of a loud noise” and that “nothing was found upon investigation.”
Passenger Accounts of the Incident
Passengers described a sudden noise and jolt as the aircraft accelerated. “We’re about halfway down the runway when all of a sudden, there’s kind of a boom noise and a big jolt,” passenger Molly Furrer told NBC10 Boston. “I could feel the plane braking and then it started to skid down the runway until it came to a complete stop.” She added that panic increased when sirens approached before the captain explained there was an engine warning on the second engine and that it had been shut down quickly.
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Social Media Footage Shows Flames
Footage posted online by 7NEWS Australia shows flames briefly bursting from the engine, followed by a puff of smoke as the jet slowed. Emergency vehicles can be seen converging on the aircraft after it stopped on the runway.
Replacement Aircraft Completes Flight to Zurich
Flight tracking website FlightAware reported that the Zurich-bound flight eventually departed five hours and 33 minutes later at 10:38 p.m. on Tuesday using a different aircraft. Swiss International Air Lines said the original jet had been at Logan for maintenance and had already been cleared for a return flight without passengers. “Therefore, the passengers from LX55 could have been taken on this flight,” the airline said.
Investigation Underway
The FAA has launched an investigation into the incident to determine the cause of the engine problem. Swiss International Air Lines noted that it is possible for a brief flame to be visible when an engine malfunctions. The airline apologized for the inconvenience caused to passengers and said safety procedures were followed during the aborted takeoff.
🇺🇸FIREBALL ERUPTS FROM SWISS AIR JET AT BOSTON LOGAN
A Swiss Airlines flight bound for Zurich aborted takeoff at Logan Airport after flames blasted from its right engine, followed by a loud pop caught on a livestream.
The pilot slammed the brakes, bringing the jet to a halt as… pic.twitter.com/TIEJyYJby3
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) September 17, 2025
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