Sydney Airport in chaos after engine failure sparks runway fire

More than 10 flights have been cancelled and more are delayed after a plane went into engine failure, sparking a fire near a Sydney Airport runway

Sydney Airport has been thrown into chaos after an engine failure sparked a grass fire next to a runway, triggering mass flight cancellations and delays.

Qantas flight QF520 experienced “contained engine failure” on Friday afternoon, with the Brisbane-bound plane forced to make an emergency landing.

Passengers on-board the flight reported hearing a loud bang.

The plane circled and landed safely back at Sydney Airport with 174 people on board.

More than 10 flights have been cancelled following the incident, with departure delays averaging 45 minutes at the airport.

The fire broke out about midday on Friday

A plane made an emergency landing after engine failure. Picture: 9 NEWS.

Aviation fire trucks were quickly on the scene to extinguishes spots still smouldering. Picture: NewsWire / John Appleyard

There have been 11 domestic departures cancelled, with four domestic diversions, including Q953 from Cairns diverted to Newcastle, VA518 and VA516 from Coolangatta diverted to Canberra, and JQ459 from Ballina diverted to Newcastle.

It’s understood the diverted flights are expected to arrive in Sydney later this afternoon.

An international flight was also diverted, with Scoot flight TR2 expected to land in Sydney later this afternoon after being redirected to Melbourne.

There have been no international cancellations.

No serious injuries have been reported.

Dozens of police cars and fire trucks have flocked to the airport, with aviation Rescue and Firefighting on the scene along with Fire and Rescue NSW to extinguish the blaze next to the airport’s third runway.

Qantas Chief Pilot Captain Richard Tobiano confirmed the plane experienced “contained engine failure”.

“One of our flights to Brisbane experienced a suspected engine failure after takeoff from Sydney Airport this afternoon. After circling for a short period of time, the aircraft landed safely at Sydney Airport,” Mr Tobiano said.

“Our pilots are highly trained to handle situations like this and the aircraft landed safely after the appropriate procedures were conducted.

The grass fire was reportedly triggered by engine failure. Picture: X

The plane made an emergency landing on Friday afternoon. Picture: coffeepakemilk/Twitter

“We understand this would have been a distressing experience for customers and we will be contacting all customers this afternoon to provide support.

“We will also be conducting an investigation into what caused the engine issue.”

Mr Tobiano confirmed while a loud bang may have been heard, there was no explosion.

“Qantas engineers have conducted a preliminary inspection of the engine and confirmed it was a contained engine failure,” he said.

“While customers would have heard a loud bang, there was not an explosion.”

It’s understood customers will be moved onto other flights Friday afternoon, with all runways now open.

A Sydney Airport spokesperson earlier confirmed the emergency landing took place just after 1pm on Friday.

“This departure of aircraft coincided with a grass fire along the eastern side of the airport’s parallel runway, which was brought under control by teams from the Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting Service,” the spokesperson said.

Flights have been delayed an average of 45 minutes at Sydney Airport following the incident. Picture: Sky News

“It’s not clear at this stage if the two incidents are linked and investigations are continuing.

“With the safe arrival of the aircraft, Sydney Airport’s priority is to conduct a full inspection of its parallel runway and to return it to service as quickly as possible.

“Sydney Airport’s main runway is operational, however, passengers should also expect some delays and we thank everyone for their patience.

“Passengers who are travelling today are also encouraged to check with their airline regarding the status of their flight, or via the online flight information boards on Sydney Airport’s website.”

The Australian and International Pilots Association Safety commended the Qantas crew for their response, with Safety and Technical Director Captain Steve Cornell praising the team.

“Engine failures are extremely rare but Qantas pilots are exceptionally well trained to handle them with the utmost professionalism,” Captain Cornell said.

The runway is expected to reopen later on Friday. Picture: Sky News

“In this instance the crew displayed remarkable skill, expertise, and composure in returning safely to Sydney and protecting everyone on board.

“The safety of passengers, crew, and cargo is always our highest priority.

“This incident demonstrates the value of having two well-trained and well-rested pilots on the flight deck as the most essential safety feature in aviation.”

Airservices Australia’s Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting Service said crews responded to the incident on Friday afternoon.

Aviation fire trucks brought the fire under control. Picture: NewsWire / John Appleyard

“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,” a statement read.

“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.

“The runway closure and backlog of flights is expected to lead to airborne and ground delays this afternoon,” the statement read.

“Passengers flying into or out of Sydney are advised to reach out to their airlines to see if they are impacted.”

A Sydney Airport spokesperson has since confirmed all runways are open as of 5.20pm.