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WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) . – A plane had to make an emergency landing at a New Zealand airport after one of its engines caught fire in mid-flight.. It was a Boeing Virgin Australia 737-800 It was destined for the city of Melbournein Australia.
As reported by the company’s director of operations, Stuart Aggs, when asked by THE NATIONall passengers disembarked from VA148 after a safe landing at Invercargill Airport in New Zealand “after a possible collision with a bird after taking off from Queenstown Airport”. At the airport, an operation was set up with fire trucks waiting for the plane.
The incident took place about 50 minutes after taking off from Queenstown, around 6 p.m. local time. There were 67 passengers and six crew members on board. The cause of the fire was initially unknown, said Queenstown airport spokeswoman Chaterine Ning.
“Our efforts are now focused on providing support to our guests and crew, as well as transporting and accommodating guests in Invercargill tonight and arranging their earliest travel to Australia,” Virgin Australia added in a statement.
“Believe me, I could ‘feel’ the flames as we took off,” said a passenger on the flight on social media, according to the local newspaper. The New Zealand Herald. “I’m sitting right behind the right wing. Full view of the light show,” she added.
The rate of bird strikes on aircraft at New Zealand airports is about four per 10,000 aircraft movements., according to the website of the country’s air regulatory agency. The consequences of these episodes can be of different severity depending on where on the aircraft the impact occurs, the size of the bird and the pilot’s reaction, according to the agency.
THE NATION
