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The pilots of a Qantas plane packed with terrified passengers were forced to shut down the engine mid-flight and make an emergency landing after an explosion.
Flight QF781 took off from Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport at around 8.30pm on Monday night bound for Perth.
The four-hour flight was preparing to descend to Perth when passengers heard a loud bang before being told the engine had blown out.
Another passenger described the sound similar to a tire exploding.
The pilots manually shut down the engine and issued a priority landing advisory.
Flight QF781 was preparing to descend to Perth when the engine exploded
The Airbus A330-200 aircraft landed safely in Perth, but was met by emergency crews on the tarmac and escorted to the arrivals gate as a precaution.
A photo taken by a passenger on board showed the plane on the runway next to a fire truck.
“The pilot and crew on board did a stellar job, the plane landed safely and everyone is safe,” the Bell Tower Times post said.
“That’s a story for grandchildren.”
Passengers praised the pilots and crew for how they handled the scare in the air.
“That landing was very soft considering we lost an engine on the way down,” a woman posted on X
‘But I’m glad I landed because it was scary to sit still. Yes, I cried the whole time and no, I’m not booking a flight anytime soon.”
All crew and passengers disembarked without further incident.
Qantas engineers will now examine the engine to determine what caused the explosion.
“The pilots followed procedures for this type of incident, manually shutting down the engine and requesting a priority landing,” a spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.
‘These aircraft are designed to operate safely with a single engine.
“We know this would have been unsettling for customers on board and we thank them for their cooperation and understanding.”
The plane landed safely in Perth, but was met by fire trucks on the tarmac.