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Firefighters have contained a grass fire at Sydney Airport after a suspected engine explosion.
Aviation rescue firefighters (ARFF) and NSW Fire and Rescue responded to the fire next to the third runway, which broke out after an engine malfunction on Qantas flight QF520 to Brisbane operated by the 19-year-old 737-800 VH-VYH (pictured), though it is not yet clear if this was the cause.
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The flight safely made an emergency landing at the airport at around 1:10pm, with the pilot reportedly telling passengers of a failure in the right engine after a loud bang was heard on board.
Images on social media have shown large plumes of smoke rising over the airport, with aircraft that had been waiting to take off forced to return to the terminal and delays likely for several hours.
What’s going on at Sydney airport? #sydneyairport pic.twitter.com/aSlUpbCw7T
— HAL9000 (@HAL__90001) November 8, 2024
Our landing at Sydney airport was aborted by a grass fire next to the runway. Have the fire crews something to do. pic.twitter.com/EbTwYD6ZGV
— Nigel Withers (@MajorBlipvert) November 8, 2024
Georgina Lewis, a producer on Nine’s Today show, said the pilot told passengers the right engine exploded during take-off.
“We were taking off and we heard a bang … one of the engines appeared to have gone,” she said.
“We were circling to the south of Sydney over the water for quite some time until we were able to land, it appears on one engine, safely – with a lot of cheering from on board.”
As of 3pm, Flightradar reported that passengers were experiencing average delays to take-off of 47 minutes.
In a statement on social media, the airport said the grass fire had been brought under control.
“It’s not clear at this stage if the two incidents are linked and investigations are continuing. With the safe arrival of the aircraft, Sydney Airport’s priority is to conduct a full inspection of its parallel runway and to return it to service as quickly as possible,” the airport said.
“Sydney Airport’s main runway is operational; however, passengers should also expect some delays and we thank everyone for their patience.”
The Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA), meanwhile, commended the crew on board QF520.
“Engine failures are extremely rare, but Qantas pilots are exceptionally well trained to handle them with the utmost professionalism,” said Captain Steve Cornell, AIPA’s safety and technical director.
“In this instance, the crew displayed remarkable skill, expertise, and composure in returning safely to Sydney and protecting everyone on board. The safety of passengers, crew, and cargo is always our highest priority.
“This incident demonstrates the value of having two well-trained and well-rested pilots on the flight deck as the most essential safety feature in aviation.”
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said it had commenced a transport safety investigation.
“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,” it said.
“Other likely investigation activities will include interviewing the flight crew, reviewing operator procedures, analysing weather information, examining any relevant engine components, and potentially attending any tear-down inspection of the engine.
“Our investigators will now work methodically to progressively establish the incident’s sequence of events and contextual information, with a view to determining contributing factors and any underlying safety issues, which will be detailed in the investigation’s final report.”
More to follow…
