A Virgin Australia Boeing 737-800 jet made a safe emergency landing at Invercargill Airport on Monday after one of its engines caught fire shortly after takeoff. The aircraft, which was en route to Melbourne, Australia, was forced to divert to Invercargill following the incident.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand confirmed that fire trucks were on standby as the plane landed approximately 50 minutes after departing from Queenstown Airport. Lynn Crosson, shift supervisor for Fire and Emergency New Zealand, stated that the aircraft landed safely without further incident.
The cause of the engine fire remains unknown, and the number of passengers on board has not been disclosed, according to Queenstown Airport spokesperson Catherine Nind. Virgin Australia suggested in an emailed statement that the incident might have been caused by a “possible bird strike.”
Queenstown, a renowned tourist destination on New Zealand’s South Island, attracts visitors with its skiing, adventure tourism, and stunning alpine vistas. The town has a population of approximately 53,000.
Bird strikes are a known hazard in aviation, with New Zealand’s aviation regulator reporting a rate of about four bird strikes per 10,000 aircraft movements. The severity of these incidents can vary based on the impact location, the size of the birds involved, and the pilot’s response.
