A SWISS Airbus A220 arriving at at Kittilä Airport (KTT) in Lapland, Finland, was blown into a snowbank shortly after touching down during severe weather. The aircraft had come to a stop after landing, but a gust of wind sent it sliding along the taxiway and into a mound of snow.
The aircraft was stuck for a few hours as authorities struggled to recover it, but all passengers and crew eventually disembarked unharmed. During the same time and amid severe winter weather, a small business jet was also blown off-course and needed to be recovered.
SWISS A220 Slides Into Snowbank In Lapland
As reported by CDT, the SWISS-operated narrowbody found itself in a difficult position after landing in Northern Finland on Saturday afternoon when it ended up in a snowbank. The aircraft — an Airbus A220-300 registered as HB-JCM — was carrying around 150 passengers and had originated from Geneva Airport (GVA) as flight LX8904.
Following its four-hour journey from Geneva, the plane landed and was apparently stationary on the taxiway at Kittilä Airport when a strong gust blew it into a snowbank by the taxiway edge. Although it did not incur any damage, amid the near-freezing conditions and plentiful snowfall in the area, the aircraft ended up stuck in this position for hours.
Simple Flying reached out to SWISS and received the following from an airline spokesperson,
“After landing, the aircraft of flight LX8904 from Geneva to Kittilä was stationary on the taxiway with the brakes applied. A gust of wind turned it into a sideways position. After the wind calmed down, the aircraft was towed to stand, with a total taxi-in time of approximately three hours. There was no danger to passengers or crew. Nevertheless, we deeply and sincerely regret the inconvenience caused to our passengers.”
Passengers Wait Over Three Hours To Disembark
According to the airline, passengers remained on the aircraft for more than three hours after landing as authorities struggled to recover the plane. Local conditions were appalling at the time, hampering efforts to dig out the aircraft and safely return it to the apron. Northern Finland can be one of the most challenging places on earth during the winter,
Taxiing speeds at the airport were reduced to below three knots due to the conditions, and braking performance was poor due to snow and ice. Wind speeds at the time were reported at 29 knots and gusts of up to 41 knots, with the direction of the wind almost identical to the runway’s alignment. These difficult conditions can sometimes cause aircraft to slide on slippery runways or taxiways, which is why airports will lower speed limits to prevent aircraft accidents.
With the snow cleared and the aircraft safely towed to a parking stand, ground teams then reportedly struggled to bring out mobile stairs to aid with disembarkation as strong winds persisted. With the flight having initially touched down just after 4:00 pm local time, passengers were finally able to get off the aircraft at 7:20 pm.
How Do Airports Rebound After A Major Snowstorm?
Airports must have weather response teams to manage inclement weather operations effectively.
Impact At The Airport
Around the same time that the SWISS aircraft found itself stuck, an arriving private jet was also forced into a snowbank by strong gusts. The business aircraft reportedly had ten people onboard and also needed towing to safety by emergency services.
An airBaltic plane also found itself grounded as teams worked to recover the two stricken jets. The incident would also force an inbound Finnair flight to cancel its landing and return to its departure airport in Helsinki, while other operations at Kittilä Airport were impacted for several hours.
The return flight to Geneva was subsequently delayed and then canceled. The plane involved is a seven-year-old A220-300 that joined the SWISS fleet in the summer of 2018. Data from Flightradar24 shows the aircraft has remained in Kittilä since yesterday’s incident, but does not appear to have sustained any damage.
