UPDATE 4-Qantas flight lands safely at Sydney airport after issuing misery sign

(Updates all through with up to date Qantas assertion and passenger quote)

By Kirsty Needham and Lewis Jackson

SYDNEY, Jan 18 (Reuters) – A Qantas Airways flight from New Zealand landed safely at Sydney airport on Wednesday after the airline stated it had issued a misery sign as a consequence of a difficulty with one among its engines.

The Boeing 737-800 jet from Auckland had an in-flight engine shutdown and issued a “mayday” name whereas flying over water an hour from its vacation spot of Sydney, a Qantas spokesperson stated in a press release.

The mayday sign, which signifies grave and imminent hazard, was downgraded to “Attainable Help Wanted” earlier than touchdown, the spokesperson added.

All 145 passengers disembarked usually when the airplane landed in Sydney round 3.30pm native time (0430 GMT).

“Whereas in-flight engine shutdowns are uncommon, and would naturally be regarding for passengers, our pilots are educated to handle them safely and plane are designed to fly for an prolonged interval on one engine,” the airline stated.

Passengers instructed native media they heard a loud bang mid-flight however had not realised there was an issue till the pilot made an announcement on touchdown.

“I turned on my telephone and my spouse had known as me 18 occasions, ‘Have you ever landed, have you ever landed?'” an unnamed passenger instructed reporters on the airport.

Qantas stated it could share extra data as soon as engineers had completed inspecting the plane. (Reporting by Kirsty Needham and Lewis Jackson; Writing by Alasdair Pal; Modifying by Christopher Cushing, Neil Fullick and Jamie Freed)