A Qantas flight traveling from Queenstown to Sydney was forced to divert after flames burst from its left engine shortly after departure. The aircraft safely landed in Christchurch.
Passengers and observers captured the incident on video as the fire erupted, with the clips quickly shared across social media platforms.
The plane, which had taken off from Queenstown Airport in New Zealand, encountered the mechanical emergency before being rerouted to the nearest suitable airport for an emergency landing. No further details on injuries or the specific cause of the engine failure were immediately available.
Why did they divert to Christchurch instead of returning to Queenstown? What makes sense from an aviation perspective?
I saw the video on TikTok. The flames looked serious, but it’s a miracle no injuries occurred.
Glad everyone is safe, but that must have been terrifying for the passengers onboard.