Boeing 737 Max in emergency landing in Orlando, Florida

A Boeing 737 Max jet has made an emergency landing in Florida, just weeks after a similar plane crashed in Ethiopia, killing all 157 people on board.

The US Federal Aviation Administration says a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Max jet made a safe emergency landing in Orlando, Florida, after experiencing an apparent engine problem.

The crew declared an emergency after taking off from Orlando International Airport around 2:50pm (5.50am AEDT), and landed the plane safely.

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A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Max aircraft lands at the Southern California Logistics Airport in the high desert town of Victorville, California. Southwest has 34 Max aircraft in its fleet. Picture: AP Photo/Matt Hartman

No passengers were on board. The aircraft was being ferried to Victorville, California, where Southwest is storing the aeroplanes.

The 737 Max was grounded in the US March 13 after a deadly crash involving a Max on March 10 in Ethiopia. It was the second fatal crash involving the aeroplane.

US Airlines are allowed to shuttle the planes but cannot carry passengers. The FAA says it’s investigating but it appears the emergency was not related to anti-stall software suspected in the two fatal crashes.

A preliminary report on the March 10 Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed 157 people will be made public soon, but it may take months to finish the final report, a spokesman for the country’s transport ministry said.

“A date has not been set but it will be released later this week,” Mussie Yiheyis told The Associated Press.