A Virgin Australia Boeing 737, bound for Melbourne, safely landed in Invercargill after flames were spotted shooting from one of its engines. The incident occurred shortly after takeoff from Queenstown Airport on Monday evening, according to a report by New Zealand-based news outlet Newshub.
#BREAKING | Fire has been seen coming from the engine of an aircraft flying over Queentown tonight with witnesses reporting “loud bangs”.The aircraft was diverted to Invercargill Airport and has just made an emergency landing.
https://t.co/1mxdZCNhqz pic.twitter.com/mkcrJ6D8GC
— nzherald (@nzherald) June 17, 2024
“Virgin Australia flight VA148 departed Queenstown Airport at 5.50pm, bound for Melbourne. It experienced an issue just after take-off and has been diverted to Invercargill Airport. We will provide further updates as information becomes available,” Queenstown airport authorities said in a post on X.
Greetings from Invercargill! Mood is calm in the cabin, a tad shaken but on the ground as fire crews inspect the plane. Can confirm it was a bird strike on the way out. pic.twitter.com/NBq7GnSR8a— Drawyah (@DrawyahYT) June 17, 2024
Drawyah, a social media account that streams flight and railway simulations, in a separate X post said the ‘mood’ inside the flight was ‘calm’ and added that fire crews inspected the plane. “Can confirm it was a bird strike on the way out,” Drawyah said in its post.
UPDATE, 6.55pm: The aircraft has landed safely at Invercargill Airport.— Queenstown Airport (ZQN) (@NZQN) June 17, 2024
A Queenstown resident shared the video of the plane’s engine spewing fire with the New Zealand Herald. The short video shows the plane shooting out fire with loud bangs.
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