A Qantas flight to Brisbane was forced to return to Sydney after an engine failure and the emergency landing coincided with a grass fire next to the airport runway.
QF520 left Sydney Airport at about 12:35 noon, but four minutes later, the Boeing 737 suddenly changed direction and stopped climbing, then circled back to the airport and made an emergency landing shortly after 1 p.m.
ABC reporter Mark Willacy was on the plane. He told ABC television that just as the plane was taking off, “there was a loud bang and the whole plane was shaking.”
“We knew immediately that something was wrong, but I think what was more disturbing was that the plane was really struggling after that,” he said.
“It was a really hard fight getting airborne and it was clear to everyone on the crew and passengers that something was seriously wrong.”
He said the plane slowly gained altitude, banked westward and circled before returning over Sydney and the ocean. After 10 or 15 minutes the pilot spoke to the passenger and explained that there was some problem with the right wing engine but “it was shut down” [and] Things are under control”.
The plane then landed and fire trucks came to check the engine.
There was a lot of smoke and passengers witnessed a nearby grass fire, Willacy said.
Qantas chief pilot Richard Tobiano said the flight had a “suspected engine failure” after takeoff.
“After circling briefly, the aircraft landed safely at Sydney Airport. Our pilots are well-trained to handle such situations and after executing appropriate procedures, the aircraft landed safely.
He said the incident “will be a traumatic experience” for passengers and the airline will provide support to those on board.
“We will also investigate what caused the engine problem,” he said.
There were no reports of injuries and passengers have been rebooked on alternative services.
Qantas engineers carried out preliminary inspections and confirmed the aircraft had an engine failure. Jets only need one engine to fly safely.
“Although customers will hear a loud bang, there is no explosion,” Tobiano said.
Channel Nine employee Georgina Lewis was also on board the Boeing 737.
“We were taking off and we heard a loud bang,” Lewis told Nine. “One of the engines appears to have disappeared.”
The Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA), which represents some Qantas pilots, praised the crew on QF520.
“Engine failures are extremely rare, but Qantas pilots are well-trained to handle such failures with the utmost professionalism,” AIPA safety and technical director Captain Steve Cornell said in a statement. .
“The crew showed exceptional skill, expertise and composure during this incident to safely return to Sydney and protect everyone on board.
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“This incident demonstrates the value of having two well-trained and well-rested pilots on the flight deck as the aviation industry’s most important safety feature.” Emergency services responded to a grass fire next to the runway, which broke out at a similar time to the flight’s departure.
“Earlier today, a Brisbane-bound flight made an emergency return to Sydney Airport and landed safely just after 1pm. A grass fire broke out on the east side of the airport’s parallel runway as the plane took off and the Air Rescue Fire Service team brought the fire under control.
The spokesman said it was unclear whether the two incidents were related. Authorities are investigating the fire.
The two incidents occurred shortly after power outages at immigration gates at international airports across Australia were resolved.
Border Force is still investigating the origins of Friday’s technical outage, which has severely impacted Melbourne and Sydney airports.
SmartGate kiosks for incoming and outgoing passengers were not operational on Friday morning and three flights from Melbourne were delayed.
The Australian Border Force said systems at all airports were back up and running as of midday AEDT, but they were yet to find the source.
“The cause of the technical issue remains under investigation,” a spokesman said.
with AAP.
