QY5960
2024-NOV-25 · Zirniu Street, Liepkalnis, Vilnius, Lithuania

Swiftair — Flight QY5960

On 25 November 2024 at 03:28 UTC a Swiftair Boeing 737-400SF (EC-MFE) operating a DHL cargo flight from Leipzig to Vilnius crashed about 1.5 km short of runway 19 at Vilnius. The captain was killed; the co-pilot and two company employees travelling as passengers were seriously injured. Lithuania's TAIID interim report records that both hydraulic system B pumps went off at 03:17:34 with an autopilot disconnect, and that the flaps remained at zero despite a flaps-5 call, but it draws no conclusions and states no cause.

Aircraft
Boeing 737-400SF
Registration
EC-MFE
Phase
Cause
Souls on Board
4
Fatalities
1
Origin → Dest
Leipzig/Halle Airport, Germany → Vilnius International Airport, Lithuania
Report

Investigation Summary

The TAIID interim report (A-24/23, ref. 1A-242, 20 December 2024) is factual only. It records a double click on the CVR at 03:17:30 and both hydraulic system B pumps found off at 03:17:34, accompanied by an autopilot disconnect; it does not attribute that selection to either pilot. The flaps are powered by hydraulic system B (report section 1.6.3), so they did not extend when flaps 5 was called at 03:24:29. The co-pilot recognised that the flaps were still retracted at 03:27:56, the stick shaker and EGPWS activated, a go-around was called at 03:28:02 and the aircraft struck the ground at 03:28:08. Both engines were producing power at impact, above 90% N1 during the go-around, and there were two failed attempts to re-engage autopilot B. The FDR shows the engine anti-ice switches were never engaged despite two crew discussions and the captain's confirmation at 03:22:57; all anti-ice switches were found off, and icing conditions existed (overcast at 700 ft, temperature around +1/-1 C). In the wreckage the hydraulic system B switches were off and system A on, system B fluid was near full with no indication of a leak, the flap actuators were retracted and the flap handle was forward of the flap-zero gate. There was no in-flight fire. The aircraft carried 362 kg of lithium-ion batteries and 200 kg of dry ice and no cargo shift was found, which is relevant to the sabotage speculation that followed; Lithuania's Prosecutor General's Office said in December 2024 and again on 26 March 2025 that it had found no evidence of sabotage.

Final Conclusions

No cause has been established. The interim report of 20 December 2024 is factual and contains no conclusions. An Interim Statement of 18 November 2025 says the investigation continues and that a final report is expected within months.

Photographic Evidence (1)

© Wikimedia Commons

Video Analysis

No video analysis linked for this case file yet.

Airframe & Maintenance

Airframe Hours
63,573
Cycles
43,745
Engines
CFM International CFM56-3C1

Crew Experience

Captain

Total hours
5,432
On type
1,298

48-year-old male; also had ATR-72 experience.

First Officer

Total hours
520
On type
190

34-year-old male; pilot flying at the time of the accident.

Systems & Failure Modes

i

Hydraulic System B

Provides pressure for the trailing edge flaps and other flight controls. The interim report records that it was deactivated and that the aircraft was flaps-up; it does not state a causal link between the two.

i

Engine Anti-Ice

System intended to prevent ice buildup. The interim report notes that an anti-ice selection coincided with the autopilot disconnect and that the anti-ice and hydraulic switches share the overhead P5 panel; the suggestion that switch proximity caused the error comes from media and prosecutor statements, not the investigation.

i

EGPWS

Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System; 'Sink Rate' and 'Pull Up' alerts were recorded seconds before impact.

Interesting Facts

  • 01The trailing edge flaps are powered by hydraulic system B (interim report section 1.6.3), so they were unavailable once its pumps went off.
  • 02The CVR records a double click at 03:17:30 and both hydraulic B pumps off at 03:17:34; the report does not attribute the selection to either pilot.
  • 03The engine anti-ice switches were never engaged despite two crew discussions and the captain's confirmation at 03:22:57; all were found off in icing conditions (overcast 700 ft, +1/-1 C).
  • 04In the wreckage hydraulic B switches were off and A on, system B fluid was near full with no leak indication, flap actuators retracted and the flap handle forward of the flap-zero gate.
  • 05The two survivors besides the co-pilot were company employees travelling as passengers, not cargo attendants.
  • 06Both engines were producing power at impact, above 90% N1 on the go-around; two attempts to re-engage autopilot B failed.
  • 07The cargo included 362 kg of lithium-ion batteries and 200 kg of dry ice; no cargo shift and no in-flight fire were found.
  • 08The Prosecutor General's Office, not the safety investigation, reported no evidence of sabotage (December 2024 and 26 March 2025).

Safety Actions & Advisories

TAIID Interim Report, 20 December 2024

Source ↗

Lithuania's Transport Accident and Incident Investigation Division published a factual interim report (A-24/23, ref. 1A-242) with no analysis, conclusions or cause.

Interim Statement, 18 November 2025

Source ↗

The investigation continues; a final report is expected within months.

Location

Zirniu Street, Liepkalnis, Vilnius, Lithuania · 54.6581, 25.3024

ACCIDENT SITE · Coordinates taken from the wikidata coordinate.

Case File History

  1. New evidenceUpdated findings.
  2. Status changeUpdated report status.

Related Cases

Case ID · swiftair-5960-2024Last updated · Filed

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