Qantas flight between Sydney, Perth circles back to airport after technical issue reported on-board

A Qantas flight has been grounded minutes after takeoff after smoke was detected in the cockpit – sparking an on-board emergency call.

A Qantas flight travelling from Sydney to Perth has been grounded minutes after takeoff after smoke was detected in the cockpit, sparking an on-board emergency.

QF643 was due to depart from Sydney Airport about 8.20am on Monday.

After an 18-minute delay the aircraft took off, only to circle back to land minutes later.

A “PAN” call – referring to a less urgent situation where the pilot still requires attention and assistance – was made to air traffic control.

It is understood smoke was detected in the cockpit following takeoff, leading to the captain requesting a priority landing.

The smoke was restricted to the cockpit and did not enter the cabin.

A Qantas plane has circled back to Sydney Airport following an on-board emergency. Picture: Supplied / FlightAware

The plane was met by emergency services after landing normally and taxiing back to the gate.

Aviation news outlet AviationSource reports the flight crew transmitted a “code 7700” after takeoff – indicating an emergency on-board the aircraft.

A Qantas spokesman said a technical issue had been reported on the plane.

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

“We understand this would have been an unsettling experience for customers and apologise for the inconvenience.

“Our engineers will be checking the aircraft today and we will be conducting an investigation into what caused the issue.”

An additional flight has been provided for customers.

More to come

Originally published as Qantas flight between Sydney, Perth circles back to airport after technical issue reported on-board