Engine parts of Swiss plane found in France

An A220 like this one lost part of its engine over France Keystone

Engine parts of a Swiss-Airbus A220, which had to make an emergency landing in Paris in July, have been located in central France. 

Online aviation magazine aero TelegraphExternal link reported that around 200 volunteers and various experts had been combing a wooded area near Perrigny-sur-Armançon, roughly halfway between Paris and Geneva, since mid-October. That is where they found the parts, which are made of titanium and not longer than 30cm. 

Three parts of one of the engines had been found, the French aviation authorities (BEAExternal link) tweeted on Wednesday. 

🔎 Serious incident @AirbusExternal link #A220External link HB-JCM @flyswissExternal link from 25/07/19 / 3 fragments from the engine have been found by the @BEA_AeroExternal link / @IGNFranceExternal link / volunteer team. The search zone defined by @BEA_AeroExternal link and @NTSB_NewsroomExternal link is confirmed. Thanks to all participants of this first day. pic.twitter.com/cqlBbDmjxvExternal link

— BEA ✈️ 🚁🛩 🇫🇷 (@BEA_Aero) November 6, 2019External link

On July 25, the aircraft experienced engine failure while on a routine flight between Geneva and London Heathrow. Pilots shut down the engine and diverted the plane to Charles de Gaulle International Airport in Paris. The 116 passengers and five crew members were able to leave the plane safely.

The BEA had called on the public to help in the recovery of the missing parts of the American-made Pratt & Whitney PW1524G engine on behalf of the US National Transportation Safety Board.   

⚠️ Call for witnesses: serious incident to the @airbusExternal link #A220External link HB-JCM @flyswissExternal link from 25/07/19 / ground search of pieces in the @bfc_regionExternal link Bourgogne-Franche-Comté area. https://t.co/t5dppOZH4IExternal link @DGACExternal link @NTSBExternal link @NTSB_NewsroomExternal link @prattandwhitneyExternal link pic.twitter.com/DuArH1R6UEExternal link

— BEA ✈️ 🚁🛩 🇫🇷 (@BEA_Aero) August 20, 2019External link

Contacted by the Swiss News Agency Keystone-SDA on Thursday, Swiss International Air Lines did not want to provide any information. 

It is very rare for an aircraft to lose engine parts in flight, according to the BEA. In 2017, part of one of the A380-800 engines of a flight between Paris and Los Angeles stalled in mid-air over Greenland. A 150kg chunk from this engine was recently found under four metres of snow and ice in the middle of a crevasse.