Qantas jet makes emergency landing due to engine failure
By
Danielle F.
- Replies 11
Whenever we travel, we may encounter some mishaps along the way. For the passengers of Qantas flight QF781, one routine flight turned into a heart-stopping ordeal.
The scheduled four-hour journey was abruptly interrupted by a loud bang that reverberated through the cabin.
The cause? An engine blowout, which forced the pilots to take action by shutting down the engine mid-flight and preparing for an emergency landing.
The Airbus A330-200 aircraft flew from Melbourne and was preparing for descent to Perth when the passengers heard what sounded like a tyre exploding.
The incident sent a wave of panic across the passengers. The pilots, trained for such unforeseen events, manually shut down the affected engine and issued a priority landing notice.
As the aircraft made its descent into Perth, emergency crews were on high alert, ready to meet the plane on the tarmac.
The sight of the aircraft escorted by fire trucks to the arrival gate was a sobering one, captured in a photo by one of the passengers.
Despite the fear and uncertainty, the crew's professionalism shone through. Passengers later took to various platforms to commend the pilots and flight attendants for their calm and composed handling of the situation.
‘That landing was very smooth considering we lost an engine upon [sic] decent,’ one passenger posted on social media.
'But thankful I’ve landed ‘cause s**t was scary to sit through. Yes I did cry the whole time and no I won’t be booking a flight soon,' another said.
The relief was palpable as all crew and passengers disembarked safely without further incident.
The focus now shifts to Qantas engineers, who will meticulously examine the engine to determine the cause of the blowout.
The airline's spokesperson assured that the pilots adhered to the strict procedures for such incidents and emphasised that the aircraft are designed to operate safely with one engine.
Former Qantas pilot captain Richard de Crespigny weighed in on the matter, suggesting that the failure could have been due to a back-fire or an issue with one of the engine's many components.
'It might have been a back-fire or one of the 2,000 airfoils in the engine might have departed and created havoc inside the engine,' he said.
He reassured the public that while engine failures are not common, they are a contingency that pilots are well-equipped to manage.
He also commends the crew for handling the emergency well.
'The crew took control, told the traffic what they wanted, did a safe landing and I think they did a safe landing and that did an exceptional job.'
'Engines fail. One in eight pilots will see an engine failure and this is why we have excellent pilots in Australia.'
As the investigation into the engine failure continues, passengers and the broader community will be looking for answers, hoping to regain confidence in the safety of air travel.
Have you ever experienced an emergency landing or another in-flight incident? How did the crew handle the situation? Share your stories with us in the comments below.
The scheduled four-hour journey was abruptly interrupted by a loud bang that reverberated through the cabin.
The cause? An engine blowout, which forced the pilots to take action by shutting down the engine mid-flight and preparing for an emergency landing.
The Airbus A330-200 aircraft flew from Melbourne and was preparing for descent to Perth when the passengers heard what sounded like a tyre exploding.
The incident sent a wave of panic across the passengers. The pilots, trained for such unforeseen events, manually shut down the affected engine and issued a priority landing notice.
As the aircraft made its descent into Perth, emergency crews were on high alert, ready to meet the plane on the tarmac.
The sight of the aircraft escorted by fire trucks to the arrival gate was a sobering one, captured in a photo by one of the passengers.
Despite the fear and uncertainty, the crew's professionalism shone through. Passengers later took to various platforms to commend the pilots and flight attendants for their calm and composed handling of the situation.
‘That landing was very smooth considering we lost an engine upon [sic] decent,’ one passenger posted on social media.
'But thankful I’ve landed ‘cause s**t was scary to sit through. Yes I did cry the whole time and no I won’t be booking a flight soon,' another said.
The relief was palpable as all crew and passengers disembarked safely without further incident.
The focus now shifts to Qantas engineers, who will meticulously examine the engine to determine the cause of the blowout.
The airline's spokesperson assured that the pilots adhered to the strict procedures for such incidents and emphasised that the aircraft are designed to operate safely with one engine.
Former Qantas pilot captain Richard de Crespigny weighed in on the matter, suggesting that the failure could have been due to a back-fire or an issue with one of the engine's many components.
'It might have been a back-fire or one of the 2,000 airfoils in the engine might have departed and created havoc inside the engine,' he said.
He reassured the public that while engine failures are not common, they are a contingency that pilots are well-equipped to manage.
He also commends the crew for handling the emergency well.
'The crew took control, told the traffic what they wanted, did a safe landing and I think they did a safe landing and that did an exceptional job.'
'Engines fail. One in eight pilots will see an engine failure and this is why we have excellent pilots in Australia.'
As the investigation into the engine failure continues, passengers and the broader community will be looking for answers, hoping to regain confidence in the safety of air travel.
Key Takeaways
- A Qantas flight was forced to make an emergency landing after experiencing an engine blowout mid-flight.
- The pilots shut down the affected engine and completed a priority landing in Perth, where the plane was met by emergency crews.
- Passengers praised the pilots and crew for their handling of the situation, despite the mid-air scare being unsettling.
- Qantas is investigating the cause of the engine failure, with a former Qantas pilot suggesting several possible reasons for the incident.
Have you ever experienced an emergency landing or another in-flight incident? How did the crew handle the situation? Share your stories with us in the comments below.