VietJet flight VJ82: Plane from Melbourne to Vietnam forced to turn around after it suddenly drops in sky

A plane from Melbourne to Vietnam was forced to turn back after dropping in the sky due to a technical issue.

The packed VietJet flight — which left Melbourne Airport at 3am on Thursday — encountered a problem which caused the plane’s altitude to drop on its way to Ho Chi Minh City.

Flight data showed the Airbus A330’s altitude dropping slightly before making a U-turn and flying back towards Victoria.

It then circled over Bendigo for about three hours before landing safely at 9.30am.

It’s understood no emergency services were required and the flight was cancelled.