Qantas flight makes emergency landing after engine failure sparks grass fire at Sydney airport

A Qantas flight was forced to make an emergency landing at Sydney Airport on Friday afternoon after experiencing an engine failure that led to a fire on the runway.

Flight QF520, which was en route from Sydney to Brisbane, took off just before 1 p.m. local time.

Shortly after takeoff, a loud bang was heard, and the aircraft returned to Sydney Airport.

At the same time, a grass fire near the airport’s third runway was ignited, believed to have been caused by the Boeing 737-800. Emergency responders quickly arrived at the scene to contain the fire.

The airline confirmed that the aircraft had suffered a suspected engine failure shortly after takeoff, prompting the crew to follow emergency protocols and circle the airport before safely landing. No injuries were reported among the 200 passengers on board.

Qantas Chief Pilot Richard Tobiano said, “Our pilots are highly trained to handle situations like this, and the aircraft landed safely after the appropriate procedures were conducted.

We understand this was a distressing experience for our passengers, and we will be providing support to all affected customers.”

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Upon landing, the plane was met by firefighting crews, and passengers were safely escorted back to the terminal.

The fire was extinguished by the afternoon, but the incident caused delays for other flights.

Images on social media showed smoke billowing from the grass fire, which led to the diversion of several flights and an average delay of 45 minutes.

Eleven domestic flights were canceled as a result of the emergency.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has launched an investigation into the incident and has secured the aircraft’s cockpit voice and flight data recorders.

The airline has promised a full investigation into the engine failure and will be in contact with affected passengers to offer support.