A fire broke out on the runway at the airport after the plane made an emergency landing | World News

a plane Australia It was forced to turn back just four minutes into the flight after passengers heard a ‘loud explosion’ and felt a strong jolt during takeoff.

Earlier today, a Qantas flight from Sydney to Brisbane was forced to make an emergency landing after experiencing engine failure while taking off from the ground.

After returning to the airport in Sydney, a grass fire also flared near runway three, leading to delays on many other flights.

Qantas chief pilot Richard Tobiano said the sound heard by the 170 passengers on the plane was “not an engine explosion” and that engineers would “investigate exactly what happened.”

ABC News correspondent Mark Willacy, who was on the plane, told the broadcaster that as it took off there was a ‘huge explosion and a really shocking shudder going through the plane’.

He added: ‘Getting into the air was a real struggle and at that point it was clear to everyone (crew and passengers) that something was seriously wrong.’

The journalist said the plane was ‘really putting in the effort’ as it headed north before returning via Sydney and the ocean.

After 10 to 15 minutes, the pilot spoke to the passengers, explaining that there was a problem with the right engine but reassuring them that “everything is under control at this point.”

Images taken at the airport after landing show dense white smoke coming from a grassy area.

Captain Steve Cornell, safety and technical director of the AIPA pilots union, said in a statement that the crew handled the situation with the “utmost level of professionalism”.

He added: ‘In this case the crew displayed remarkable skill, expertise and coolness in returning safely to Sydney and protecting everyone on board.

‘This incident demonstrates the value of having two well-trained and well-rested pilots on the flight deck as a fundamental safety feature in aviation.’

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