Boeing 737: Qantas flight emergency lands at Sydney Airport after engine failure - sparking grass fire near runway
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QF520 left Sydney airport about 12.35pm, but four minutes later the Boeing 737 carrying about 170 passengers suddenly changed direction and stopped climbing. The aircraft then returned to the airport where it made an emergency landing shortly after 1pm.
ABC reporter Mark Willacy was onboard the flight. He told ABC TV that just as the plane was taking off, “there was a large bang and a really jolting shudder went through the plane”.
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Hide AdHe said: “We knew immediately something was wrong, but what was more disturbing, I think, was the plane really laboured after that. It was a real struggle to get airborne and it was clear to everyone – the crew and the passengers – that something was badly wrong at that point.”
The pilots spoke to passengers after 10 or 15 minutes to explain something happened with the engine on the right wing, but “it was shut down [and] things were under control”. The plane then landed and firetrucks came to inspect the engine.


Qantas’s chief pilot, captain Richard Tobiano, said the flight “experienced a suspected engine failure” after take-off. He said the incident “would have been a distressing experience” for passengers and the airline would provide support to those onboard, as well as “conducting an investigation into what caused the engine issue.”
No injuries were reported, and passengers were rebooked on alternative services. The Australian and International Pilots Association safety and technical director, captain Steve Cornell, said “engine failures are extremely rare but Qantas pilots are exceptionally well trained to handle them with the utmost professionalism”.
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Hide AdThe engine failure caused grass near the runway to catch fire. An Airservices spokesperson said: “An engine failure on departure from Runway 34R caused a grass area adjacent to the runway to catch fire. Airservices’ ARFF crews quickly attended the grass fire and extinguished it.
“Airservices’ National Operations Management Centre enacted a 47-minute ground stop at Sydney Airport to ensure the plane could land as quickly as possible. ARFF crews met QFA520 when it landed safely on Runway 34L, with nil passenger injuries”.
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