NEW ZEALAND- Today, A Virgin Australia (VA) flight was forced to make an emergency landing at Invercargill Airport due to an engine fire. The flight, which was traveling from Queenstown (ZQN) to Melbourne (MEL), reportedly encountered engine trouble during takeoff.
In a separate incident, two people were injured on an Air New Zealand (NZ) flight that encountered severe turbulence on Sunday.
Virgin Australia Engine Fire
A Queenstown Airport spokeswoman stated, “Virgin Australia flight VA148 departed Queenstown Airport at 5:59 p.m., bound for Melbourne. It experienced an issue shortly after takeoff and was diverted to Invercargill Airport.”
Witnesses observed flames coming from the engine and reported hearing loud bangs.
A witness, Nick Lambert, saw the Boeing 737 flying overhead. “It was making a loud pulsing/throbbing noise from one engine, then it started shooting flames—maybe it hit a bird?” he said.
Another witness said, “It sounded like it was coming apart over our house. One engine was throwing flames and sputtering.”
There were believed to be 73 people on board the aircraft, with both a passenger and a crew member reported injured after the emergency landing.
Virgin Australia Chief Operations Officer Stuart Aggs stated, “Virgin Australia flight VA148 from Queenstown to Melbourne diverted to Invercargill Airport and landed safely following a possible bird strike on takeoff this evening. Virgin Australia can now confirm that all passengers have disembarked VA148, which landed safely at New Zealand’s Invercargill Airport following a possible bird strike after departing from Queenstown Airport.”
“Now, we are concentrating on assisting our passengers and crew, ensuring they are accommodated in Invercargill tonight, and organizing their earliest possible onward travel to Australia,” added Aggs.
The aircraft involved in the incident is Boeing 737-800, registered as VH-YIV, took off from Queenstown around 6:00 PM local time and safely landed at Invercargill at approximately 6:50 PM. There were 67 passengers and 6 crew members on board.
Air New Zealand Turbulence
A passenger reportedly suffered burns from spilled hot coffee, and a crew member was knocked off her feet approximately 15 minutes after take-off from Wellington (WLG) to Queenstown.
“I managed to grab a bottle of cold water and began pouring it over myself. I also spoke to the flight attendant who was still on the floor and asked if it was okay to use water everywhere, to which she responded, ‘Go ahead’,” said the injured passenger, as reported by Scoop.
Another passenger aboard flight NZ607 remarked that the crew was serving coffee and tea when the sudden jolt “took everyone by surprise.”
“I personally have never experienced such sudden, intense turbulence during my travels,” the traveler told Crux.
“The jolting, dropping, and slight sideways tilt felt like those moments on a rollercoaster when you descend rapidly and then climb back up.”
Air New Zealand confirmed that a customer and a crew member sustained injuries, attributing the incident to “clear-air turbulence.”
“The safety and well-being of our customers and crew is our top priority, and our crew are trained to handle such situations,” stated Captain David Morgan, Air New Zealand’s Chief Operational Integrity and Safety Officer, in a statement.
Our operational procedures specify how we respond to various levels of turbulence, including instructions for passengers and crew to be seated during flight disturbances.
“We continuously review our operational procedures to ensure they align with regulations and international standards, prioritizing the safety of our customers and crew,” added Morgan.
Clear-air turbulence can occasionally occur, where turbulent air is not visibly detectable by the flight crew.
Feature Image: Air NZ 767,Virgin Australia 737 & Singapore 777 at AKL | Flickr
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