A Qantas flight to Fiji has been forced to turn back to Sydney due to a possible mechanical issue, a day after a service from Auckland issued a mayday call.
QF101, a Boeing 737 bound for Nadi, took off at Sydney Airport at 8.30 a.m. on Thursday and spent almost two hours circling over the east coast before diverting to Sydney at 10.50 a.m.
“The pilots followed standard procedures, and the aircraft landed normally in Sydney. Engineers will examine the aircraft,” said a Qantas spokesperson,
“We thank customers for their patience, and we are working to get them on their way to Fiji as quickly as possible.”
The plane headed back to Sydney without emergency or priority landing, and the fault indicator was not caused by an engine problem, the airline stated.
Second Qantas Flight Experiences Engine Problem
The incident comes less than a day after QF144—another Qantas Boeing 737—issued a “mayday alert,” an international signal indicating that the plane was in life-threatening danger and needed immediate assistance.The aircraft from Auckland to Sydney on Wednesday reported the loss of one of its two engines and issued a mayday call over the Pacific Ocean. But it later landed safely at Sydney’s Kingsford Smith Airport at about 3.30 p.m.
Qantas said all 145 passengers disembarked normally, and shutdowns were rare, with pilots trained to manage them safely.
Passengers onboard were informed about the engine problems when they landed, while some reported that they heard a loud “bang” sound.
“[The staff were] brilliant, if they hadn’t told us we wouldn’t have known,” Spring said.
“[Staff] just said there would be a fire crew just in case, reassuring to know they were on the ball.”
Passenger Sandika McAuley said, “I kind of heard the little bang and then a bit of turbulence, and we just thought okay, this is a bit weird.”
“But we didn’t really know anything until we landed, then we got told that there was a mayday call and the engine failed.”
James Mearon said he didn’t realise how serious the situation was until he saw cameras waiting for passengers outside the terminal.
“Yeah, it definitely was scary,” he said.
Passenger Fiona Dunne told AAP that the dysfunctioning air conditioning was one of the main issues.
“The aircon was gone, so everyone was just frustrated and sweaty; I don’t think there was that much panic,” she said.
Probe Over QF144 Launched
Transport safety investigators said they would analyse QF144’s cockpit voice recorder and flight data, and a probe had been launched hours after the emergency with three officers starting to collect evidence.“At the ATSB’s request, the operator has quarantined the aircraft’s cockpit voice and flight data recorders. Once downloaded, information from those recorders will be analysed at the ATSB’s technical facilities in Canberra,” the Australian Transport Safety Bureau said in a statement.
Australian and International Pilots Association vice president Mark Hofmeyer praised the pilots for making safe decisions under pressure.
“At the end of the day, it was a safe outcome,” Hofmeyer told AAP on Wednesday.
A mayday call is an international distress signal used by ships and aircraft to indicate an aircraft is in grave and imminent danger and needs immediate assistance.
“What you may well find when the aircraft lands is that it may be prudence rather than an uncontrollable situation.”
Qantas is rated as one of the world’s safest airlines.
