A long-haul flight bound for Spain was forced to divert over Europe after a suspected engine oil pressure issue prompted the crew to descend and reroute the aircraft, bringing the journey to an unexpected stop in Germany.
On March 6th 2026, a Cathay Pacific Airbus A350-900, registration B-LRT, operating flight CX-315 from Hong Kong to Madrid, was cruising at FL380 over Romania with 297 people on board when the flight crew requested a descent due to turbulence.
Air traffic control cleared the aircraft to descend to FL340. However, while descending the crew reassessed the situation and opted to drift the aircraft further down to FL260 while preparing for a diversion. The decision was made to divert to Munich as a precaution.
The aircraft continued its descent and proceeded toward Munich Airport, where the crew advised controllers during the approach that the situation was not considered an emergency and that no emergency services were required on landing.
About 90 minutes after leaving its original cruise altitude, the widebody jet landed safely on runway 08R in Munich. Passengers disembarked normally after the aircraft taxied to the apron.
Following the arrival, observers on the ground reported seeing one of the aircraft’s Rolls‑Royce Trent XWB engines opened while the aircraft was parked on the apron. According to information received by aviation sources, the diversion was related to a loss of engine oil pressure indication.
As a result of the unscheduled diversion, the remainder of the scheduled flight to Madrid was cancelled. The aircraft’s planned return service was also cancelled while maintenance teams inspected the engine.
The incident ended safely with no injuries reported, but the precautionary diversion underscores the strict procedures followed by airline crews when engine system indications suggest a potential mechanical issue during long-haul flights.
