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A Qantas plane has landed safely at Auckland International Airport after issuing a mayday call over the Tasman Sea amid concerns about a potential fire in the cargo hold.
The mayday call triggered a priority landing at Auckland Airport, local media reported, with the plane landing safely as emergency responders waited on the tarmac.
Qantas flight 141 at Auckland Airport this morning.Credit: 1News
New Zealand outlet Stuff reported that the mayday call – used by pilots to indicate grave and imminent danger – was prompted by reports of a fire in the cargo hold of the Boeing 737 aircraft, which had 162 passengers on board.
The pilots received “intermittent indication” of a potential fire one hour before they were due to land in Auckland, triggering the emergency call.
“The pilots followed standard procedures and notified authorities through a mayday call,” a Qantas spokesperson said.
“Preliminary investigations report that there was no fire in the front cargo hold. Our engineers will inspect the aircraft to determine the cause.”
Emergency vehicles at Auckland Airport on Friday.Credit: Nine News
The Qantas crew have said there was no smoke in the cabin, and all passengers had safely disembarked.
Sixteen fire trucks from the Auckland area responded to the incident, Stuff reported, with multiple ambulance crews also on the scene.
An Auckland Airport spokesperson said the airfield was now “returning to normal”, and departing and arriving flights could see “slight delays”.
Ambulance staff have treated two passengers for minor conditions, while other paramedic crews have been stood down.
Qantas Flight 141 departed Sydney on Friday morning, and landed in Auckland just before midday (New Zealand time).
A mayday call is an urgent distress call issued by pilots over in incidents where life is in immediate danger, triggering emergency protocols and prioritising radio communications with the aircraft. It differs from the “Pan-Pan” radio call, which indicates an urgent request for assistance to air traffic control, though makes clear that the situation is not an emergency.
More to come
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