Rex crew praised for emergency landing after plane engine catches fire

Wagga Wagga, Australia - November 27, 2008: Rex Regional express airline, a SAAB 340 at country NSW, parked and resting couple of hours before passengers boarding, with rain in the background.

The crew onboard a Regional Express (Rex) aircraft has been praised for landing safely after one of the plane’s engines caught fire mid-flight.

Rex flight ZL139 was forced to make an emergency landing on Thursday, after one of the passenger plane’s engines caught fire during transit from Sydney to Merimbula. This forced pilots to land the plane, a Saab 340 twin propeller aircraft, with one engine.

A Rex spokesperson told Travel Weekly that flight ZL139 experienced a “cockpit indication associated with the aircraft’s right engine” while flying to Merimbula.

“In accordance with company standard operating procedures, the pilots carried out the prescribed procedures and landed safely and without further incident at Merimbula airport at 8:42pm,” the spokesperson said.

One passenger shared her experience on social media, as reported by news.com.au: 

“I hav (sic) just had the most terrifying experience of my life from home from Sydney on REX ZL139,” Vicky Hodges, a reported passenger, wrote. “Engine blew up just out of Moruya so flew 40 minutes on 1 engine.

“The wonderful pilots got us home safely,” she said.

Flight radar data by flighatware.com.au showed the plane circled multiple times over the ocean before landing safely at Merimbula where it was met by firefighters.

In a statement obtained by news.com.au, Fire and Rescue NSW said that emergency services were “told prior to the plane landing” that it “had an engine fire which had been extinguished by the pilots”.

“The plane landed safely and landed as normal. None of the passengers or crew were injured,” the statement read.

The incident comes after Rex recently cleared its name over allegations of poor safety practices.

Latest News

  • Products

Embrace the journey: Traversing the world with the Shokz OpenRun

If you’ve been on the wrong side of a final call in the airport, or missed the stop on rail journey, it might be time to invest in a pair of Shokz OpenRun headphones. Originally marketed as headphones for fitness fanatics, runners or cyclists with a keen to steer clear of a prang with a car, […]

  • Tour Operators
  • Tourism

TTC: Deals are driving up demand for September trips

The latest market research from TTC Tour Brands shows interest in international leisure travel remains high for 2024, with 77 per cent of Australians over 18 still planning trips this year. Notably, 28 per cent of those travellers are eyeing September for their journeys. Europe continues to be the most popular destination, with 68 per […]

  • Aviation

Qantas ‘working urgently’ to fix app data leak

Qantas is looking into customer reports that passengers have this morning been able to access other passengers’ personal information on the airlines app. X user Lachlan posted that he was able log into different accounts every time he opened the app. My @Qantas app logs me in to a different person each time I open […]

  • Hotels

Revamped Wailoaloa Beach hotel opens as Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort & Spa

Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort & Spa is open and ready for bookings after the first phase of a multi-million-dollar transformation. Part of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ premium collection, the transformation has seen the completion of 106 guestrooms showcasing contemporary interiors reflective of the premium Crowne Plaza brand and is a first for the […]

  • Luxury
  • News

Kamalaya Koh Samui clinches clutch of wellness awards

Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary & Holistic Spa has so far clinched five prestigious awards in 2024, including being inducted into the ‘Hall of Fame’ at the World Spa & Wellness Awards in London. Founders of the Koh Samui sanctuary and spa John and Karina Stewart expressed their heartfelt gratitude for the awards. “We are profoundly honoured […]