On June 17, a Boeing 737-800 plane experienced an engine fire shortly after takeoff from Queenstown, New Zealand. The incident occurred on Virgin Australia flight VA148, which was en route to Melbourne. The pilot detected flames erupting from the engine and made the decision to divert the flight and perform an emergency landing. Despite the prevalence of bird strikes in the aviation industry, most incidents do not result in serious consequences. In 2019, over 17,000 bird strikes were recorded at 753 airports across the US. However, Sowry noted that such incidents are rare at Queenstown airport.
Passenger Michael Hayward described hearing a loud crash followed by flames in the right engine of the plane. The captain later informed passengers that the plane had likely collided with a bird shortly after takeoff. Airport management at Queenstown stated that incidents of planes colliding with birds are rare due to measures in place to limit bird concentrations near the take-off area. Engineers in Invercargill will conduct testing on the engine to determine the exact cause of the fire.
The pilot made a quick decision to divert the flight and perform an emergency landing, saving all passengers and crew on board safely. It’s important for pilots to be vigilant and prepared for unexpected situations during flights, as even small mistakes can have severe consequences on both passengers and crew members.
In recent years, there have been concerns about bird strikes due to their potential impact on aviation safety. While they are rare events, they can still pose a significant threat to aircraft and their occupants if not properly addressed.
As engineers work to determine the cause of this incident at Queenstown airport, it serves as a reminder of how critical it is for airports to continuously monitor and manage risks associated with bird strikes in order to maintain safe flying conditions for all aircraft operations.
