Qantas plane issued mayday call amid engine issues over the Tasman Sea
A Qantas flight from Auckland to Sydney issued a mayday call over the Tasman Sea after it lost one of its two engines mid-flight.
Flight QF144, a Boeing 737, was 36 minutes into its flight before it made the call to report the issue.
Other flights on the ground were held as the plane landed at Sydney Airport at about 3:30pm Sydney time. The flight left Auckland just after 2pm local time.
Smooth landing for @Qantas flight #QF144 at Sydney Airport after earlier issuing a mayday call reportedly due to engine failure en route from Auckland. pic.twitter.com/6Je0Gr9saa
— Tyson Whelan (@tyson_whelan) January 18, 2023
A Sydney Airport spokesperson told the Sydney Morning Herald the airport notified NSW Police, Fire and Rescue and NSW Ambulance as a precautionary measure. Emergency services met the aircraft on landing.
After passengers began emerging from the flight, Colin and Simone Schmidt, who were on the plane, told the Australian Financial Review they heard a loud bang during the flight but nevertheless said they felt safe.
Passengers were reportedly not told of issues impacting the plane until after it had landed.
A Qantas spokesperson said the aircraft experienced a problem with one of its engines an hour away from Sydney and issued a mayday alert.
“While in flight, engine shutdowns are rare, and would naturally be concerning for passengers, our pilots are trained to manage them safely and aircraft are designed to fly for an extended period on one engine,” the spokesperson said.
These engine failures are “incredibly rare,” according to Anthony Lucas, Qantas’ check and safety captain and president of the airline’s pilots union.
“Engine failures are almost a once-in-career type event, but it’s not something pilots lose sleep over because they are highly skilled and regularly review how to cope with what to do in the event of an issue.”
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