Sydney: An incoming Qantas flight, QF144, issued a mid-air mayday alert due to engine trouble before landing safely at Sydney airport on Wednesday. Ambulance services were on standby to meet the plane which was carrying 145 passengers from Auckland, New Zealand.
The Boeing 737-800 plane landed without incident and will now be inspected by engineers, according to an AFP reporter at the scene. Qantas stated that the mayday alert was downgraded to a PAN (possible assistance needed) before the flight landed.
Qantas Flight QF144 experienced an engine issue around two hours after takeoff but landed safely at Sydney airport. The airline did not specify the exact problem but stated that one of the plane’s engines had experienced an issue. Qantas reassured that while in-flight engine shutdowns are rare, pilots are trained to handle them safely and planes are designed to fly on one engine for an extended period.
Airservices Australia, the government’s aviation regulator, stated that a PAN (possible assistance needed) indicates a situation that requires attention from air traffic control. Qantas is consistently ranked among the world’s safest airlines and has not been involved in a fatal accident for over 70 years.
NSW Ambulance activated its emergency plans due to a mayday call made by Qantas Flight QF144 while it was flying over the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand. The paramedics were called and ambulance services were placed on standby at the airport. The aircraft was a Boeing 737-800, a twin-engine plane, which is capable of landing safely with only one engine.
A mayday call is an international distress signal used by aircrafts to indicate that the plane is in grave and imminent danger, and requires immediate assistance, as per the Australian government.
