Following the shutdown of one of its engines due to fire, a passenger airliner made a safe landing at an airport in New Zealand on Monday, according to the country’s fire service.
After the fire caused a detour, the Virgin Australia Boeing 737-800 aircraft, which was headed for Melbourne, Australia, touched down in the city of Invercargill, New Zealand.
About 50 minutes after taking off from Queenstown, the plane landed in Invercargill, where it was greeted by fire engines, according to Lynn Crosson, shift supervisor for Fire and Emergency New Zealand.
According to Queenstown Airport spokesperson Catherine Nind, the source of the engine fire and the number of people on board the aircraft were not immediately known.
In an email statement, Virgin Australia said that “a possible bird strike” could have been the cause of the incident.
With a population of 53,000, Queenstown is a well-liked tourist resort on the South Island of New Zealand, known for its alpine scenery, adventure tourism, and skiing.
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According to the aviation regulator of New Zealand, on its website, there are around four bird strikes for every 10,000 aircraft operations at its airports.
According to the organization, the severity of the repercussions varies based on the location of the aircraft impact, the size of the birds, and the pilot’s response.
