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‘People Were Screaming’: Qantas Passengers Describe Engine Spitting Fire

From ABC Australia · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • Qantas flight QF122 diverted to Christchurch after passengers reported repeated bangs, fire from an engine and severe turbulence.
  • Passengers praised the pilots and cabin crew after the plane landed safely, while Qantas grounded the aircraft for inspection.
  • The airline said the incident involved a suspected engine issue and remained under investigation.

Passengers on a Qantas flight described panic in the cabin after hearing repeated loud bangs and seeing fire coming from an engine shortly after takeoff from Queenstown, New Zealand.

Flight QF122 was heading to Sydney on Saturday afternoon when it diverted to Christchurch over what Qantas called a "suspected engine issue." Kriti Sethi, who was seated near the back of the aircraft, said she could see flames coming from the left side. The fire appeared about five times, she said, each time accompanied by a bang.

It happened around five times, so we hear bang, bang, bang and there was five times fire coming out.

· Kriti SethiSethi described the repeated bangs and flames she saw from the aircraft's engine.

"And then the people were screaming; people were like, 'Oh my God.' It was quite scary," Sethi told the ABC after spending the night in Christchurch. She said turbulence made the situation more frightening, with the aircraft shaking as the fire appeared.

And then the people were screaming; people were like, 'Oh my God.' It was quite scary.

· Kriti SethiSethi described the reaction inside the cabin during the incident.

Sari-Elle Kraemer, seated on the right side, could not see the engine but heard passengers discussing the fire. The lights went out, adding to the nervousness on board. She said the captain kept passengers informed and that the pilots appeared to have the situation under control after a few minutes.

Sethi said the captain told passengers the aircraft had experienced a chemical failure with the engines and needed to make an emergency landing in Christchurch. Fire engines and emergency services waited on the tarmac. Both passengers praised the cabin crew and captain, and Sethi said people applauded after the safe landing.

I've never experienced something like that.

· Sari-Elle KraemerKraemer described her reaction after hearing passengers discuss the fire.

Qantas said engineers had grounded the aircraft in Christchurch while they inspected and examined it. The plane will remain there until it is cleared to fly, with an investigation underway.

The cabin crew were amazing, and the captain was amazing.

· Kriti SethiSethi praised the crew and captain after the plane landed safely.
About this summary

Originally published by ABC Australia in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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