Sydney — A Qantas flight touring from New Zealand to Sydney landed safely on a single engine after it issued a mayday name over the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday.
Qantas Flight 144 with 145 passengers aboard landed at Sydney Airport from Auckland, New Zealand after a 3-and-a-half-hour flight between the neighboring nations' most populous cities.
The Boeing 737-838 "skilled a difficulty" with certainly one of its two engines about an hour from Sydney, a Qantas assertion mentioned.
The mayday, which is issued when a flight is in grave and imminent hazard and desires fast help, was downgraded to a PAN-PAN -- potential help wanted - earlier than the flight landed.
Qantas mentioned the pilot shut down the engine, however did not specify the issue.
"Whereas inflight engine shutdowns are uncommon, and would naturally be regarding for passengers, our pilots are skilled to handle them safely and plane are designed to fly for an prolonged interval on one engine," Qantas mentioned.
Passengers described their expertise of the engine malfunction as a "slight shudder" and "bumpy-like turbulence." Some reported listening to a bang.
Some advised reporters in Sydney that they weren't advised till they left the airplane that an engine had failed.
The Reuters information service reviews that some mentioned they did not even know there'd been an issue till the pilot introduced it.
"I turned on my telephone and my spouse had known as me 18 instances, 'Have you ever landed, have you ever landed?'" an unnamed passenger advised reporters on the airport, in accordance with Reuters.
Sydney Airport mentioned emergency crews had been placed on standby as a precaution, together with firefighters, ambulances and police.
Neil Hanford, chairman of Strategic Aviation Options, a Sydney-based business consultancy, mentioned 737s can fly rapidly and land safely on a single engine.