Liza-Jayne Loch was returning home from a business trip to New Zealand when her Qantas flight ran into trouble. The plane was climbing above the scenic South Island’s mountain ranges on Saturday afternoon, bound for Sydney, when a bang shook the cabin. A passenger seated near the left wing soon shouted “the engine’s on fire”, Loch recalled, as the cabin lights began to flicker.
Footage recorded by a passenger and shared with AAP shows flames appearing to issue from the plane’s left engine in a series of rapid bursts. According to FlightAware, the Boeing 737 landed about 52 minutes after takeoff, touching down shortly before 5pm local time. The cause of the incident has yet to be determined, but Qantas sent two engineers to Christchurch on Sunday to investigate.
Both engines are thought to have remained in operation for the duration of the flight. Loch said conditions soon stabilised after the initial shock, while cabin staff sought to comfort passengers. Emergency services were waiting on the tarmac when the flight landed, with passengers allowed to disembark as normal after a short wait.
A Qantas spokesperson said the plane was believed to have suffered an engine issue and steps would be taken to support affected customers. While the second flight went off without a hitch, Loch said nerves were still high.
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