Terror on Perth-bound Qantas flight as engine catches fire, pilot abandons take-off at Karratha Airport
Terrified passengers watched flames erupt from a Qantas engine as their Perth-bound plane took off from Karratha Airport at the weekend.
Terrified passengers watched flames erupt from a Qantas engine as their Perth-bound plane took off from Karratha Airport at the weekend.
Flight QF1737 was forced to abandon its take-off after the plane’s engine caught fire while departing on Sunday evening.
Images captured by passengers onboard the Airbus A320-232 show flames coming out from beneath the plane’s wing as the aircraft travelled along the runway and attempt to ascend about 7.15pm.
Sign up to The Nightly's newsletters.
Get the first look at the digital newspaper, curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox.
By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Flight records show the plane returned to the airport bay shortly after.
The fire is believed to have been caused by an engine issue, with a spokesperson for Qantas confirming that all passengers and crew disembarked safely.
“One of our flights to Perth experienced an engine issue shortly before take-off from Karratha on Sunday evening,” a spokesperson told PerthNow.
“Our pilots followed standard procedures and the aircraft returned safely to the bay.
“Safety is always our number one priority. We apologise to customers for the inconvenience and thank them for their understanding.”
The incident forced the cancellation of the flight, with passengers left stranded in the Pilbara city.
Qantas said the airline arranged overnight accommodation for the passengers, before they were able to be booked onto the next available flight on Monday.
It is understood that engineers will inspect the aircraft before it is able to return to service.
Originally published on PerthNow
