Qantas 747 returns to Sydney safely after engine failure.
A Qantas 747 carrying more than 270 Qantas passengers was forced to return to Sydney after taking off for Los Angeles on Saturday when one of the aircraft’s four engines failed.
Passenger Pedram Danae of Greenfield Park in Western Sydney told the Sydney Morning Herald that he deduced something was wrong when he heard a loud noise and saw flames trailing from one of the QF 149’s engines, adding that the plane was shaken by a large bang about 15 minutes into the flight, adding, “We heard a clunk and it didn’t feel right, with the plane swerving to the left and then to the right.
He said, “The pilot took a few left turns and no right turns and a few minutes later he explained one of the engines on the right-hand side was not working” and passengers were told that while the aircraft could fly with three of four engines functioning, the pilot was going to make an early landing.
Mr Danae said the mood in the cabin was surprisingly relaxed as the crew handed out snacks and ice-cream to help passengers stay calm.
Peter Morris, a Sydney Morning Herald photographer, was playing at Wakehurst Golf Club on Sydney’s northern beaches when he noticed the plane was in trouble, saying, “I just looked up when the plane flew overhead”. “There was a puff of smoke trailing from the starboard engine, then I heard an explosion, followed by the engine catching alight and flames were trailing from the engine.”
A Qantas spokesman described the problem as an engine surge, similar to a car backfiring, saying, “It was not an explosion and what happens is that an excess amount of air that comes into the engine, which creates a number of loud bangs and a bit of noise.” “It’s not uncommon to see flames exiting the engine, however, there is no major safety issue.”
The spokesman said the pilot shut down the faulty engine and dumped the plane’s fuel load so it could land, landed at 1.20pm and it was expected on Saturday that the passengers would be kept at the airport until a replacement aircraft was ready about 9.00pm.
Report by The Mole
John Alwyn-Jones
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