The Virgin Australia Boeing 737-800 jet sure for Melbourne, Australia, landed within the New Zealand metropolis of Invercargill after the hearth compelled a diversion.
Fire vans met the airplane because it arrived in Invercargill about 50 minutes after takeoff from Queenstown, mentioned Lynn Crosson, shift supervisor for Fire and Emergency New Zealand.
The reason for the engine fireplace and the variety of passengers on board the airplane weren’t instantly recognized, Queenstown Airport spokesperson Catherine Nind mentioned.
Virgin Australia mentioned in an emailed assertion that the incident could have been attributable to “a doable fowl strike.”
Queenstown, with a inhabitants of 53,000, is common vacationer vacation spot on New Zealand’s South Island, well-known for snowboarding, journey tourism and alpine vistas.
