Second Qantas Flight in Two Days Suffers Midair Mechanical Issue

A Qantas Airways Ltd. flight to Fiji turned back to Sydney with a possible mechanical problem, a day after another of its jets issued a mayday alert due to engine trouble en route from Auckland.

(Bloomberg) — A Qantas Airways Ltd. flight to Fiji turned back to Sydney with a possible mechanical problem, a day after another of its jets issued a mayday alert due to engine trouble en route from Auckland.

Flight QF101 returned to Sydney after pilots received a fault indicator about a potential mechanical issue, Qantas said Thursday. The airline operated a Boeing Co. 737 for the flight, the same model involved in Wednesday’s incident.

Qantas said the crew followed standard procedure and the aircraft landed normally. QF101 didn’t require a priority landing and the fault indicator didn’t relate to an issue with the engine, it said. Engineers will examine the plane.

Qantas Flight Lands Safely in Sydney After Issuing Mayday

Wednesday’s Flight QF144 from Auckland to Sydney landed safely after shutting down one of its two engines. The initial mayday was lowered to a PAN, meaning possible assistance needed. Emergency crews were on standby at the airport.

Qantas said engine shutdowns are rare, but pilots are trained to manage them safely and Boeing 737s can fly on one engine.

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