A Qantas flight departing from Sydney, Australia, on Friday experienced engine failure shortly after takeoff, forcing the aircraft to circle before making a safe emergency landing, the airline reported on X.
In a separate update, Sydney Airport confirmed that a grass fire had ignited along one side of the runway. It is not yet clear if the fire and the engine failure were connected. The fire has since been extinguished, though some flight delays are expected.
The twin-engine Boeing 737-800, en route to Brisbane, was carrying an unspecified number of passengers when the engine reportedly failed with a loud bang. Thankfully, no injuries were reported.
“We understand this would have been a distressing experience for our passengers, and we will be reaching out to them this afternoon to offer support,” said Qantas Chief Pilot Captain Richard Tobiano. “We will also be launching an investigation to determine the cause of the engine failure.”