Swissair Flight 111

Swissair Flight 111 was a scheduled passenger flight from New York City to Geneva that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off Nova Scotia, Canada, on 2 September 1998.

Swissair Flight 111 was a scheduled passenger flight from New York City to Geneva that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off Nova Scotia, Canada, on 2 September 1998. All 229 people on board were killed. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada concluded that an in-flight fire, fueled by flammable materials in the aircraft, caused the loss of the aircraft.

Accident

Swissair Flight 111 was operating a scheduled transatlantic service when smoke was reported in the cockpit. The aircraft crashed into the ocean off Nova Scotia on the night of 2 September 1998.

Investigation

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada led a lengthy investigation into the cause of the fire and the sequence of events leading to the crash. The final findings pointed to electrical arcing and flammable insulation materials as key factors.

Cause

Investigators concluded that a fire started above the cockpit ceiling and spread through flammable material used in the aircraft’s structure. The fire became uncontrollable and led to the loss of the aircraft.

Aftermath

The disaster prompted major attention to aircraft material flammability and safety standards. It also became one of the best-known aviation accidents in Canadian history.