Ambulance providers scrambled at Sydney airport on Wednesday to satisfy an incoming Qantas airplane that issued a mid-air mayday alert with engine hassle earlier than touchdown safely.
The flight — QF144 — was carrying 145 passengers from Auckland, New Zealand, an announcement from Qantas stated.
The Boeing 737-800 airplane landed with out incident on the runway at Sydney airport, stated an AFP reporter on the scene, and can now be inspected by engineers.
Qantas stated the mayday alert was downgraded to a PAN — or “possible assistance needed” — earlier than the flight touched down.
The airline didn’t establish the issue exactly however stated one of many plane’s engines had “experienced an issue” about two hours after take off.
“While inflight engine shutdowns are rare, and would naturally be concerning for our passengers, our pilots are trained to manage them safely and aircraft are designed to fly for an extended period on one engine,” it stated.
Airservices Australia, the federal government’s aviation regulator, stated a PAN indicated a scenario that “requires attention from air traffic control”.
Qantas is persistently ranked among the many world’s most secure airways and has not been concerned in a deadly accident for greater than 70 years.
NSW Ambulance stated earlier the service had initiated its “emergency activation” plans as a result of the airplane had made a mayday name whereas flying over the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand.
Paramedics have been referred to as and ambulance providers have been positioned on standby on the airport, a spokeswoman stated.
The Boeing 737-800 is a twin-engine airplane and capable of land safely with only one engine.
According to the Australian authorities, a mayday name “indicates an aircraft is in grave and imminent danger and requires immediate assistance”. —Agence France-Presse
