Passengers on a flight heading to Bali say they saw flames coming from the engine before the plane had to return to Perth Airport.
The pilot of AirAsia flight QZ545, which took off from Perth about 6.30pm yesterday, was forced to fly in circles near Rottnest Island, burning fuel so the plane was a safe weight for landing after engine problems.
During this time, the lights were completely out in the cabin.
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Some passengers took videos, which showed the plane being met by fire trucks.
“At first we thought it was lightning, but we were on the exit row so we had the full advantage,” one passenger told 9News.
“You can see just going bang, and you can see the sort of explosion and the flames.”
The airport confirmed the plane landed after having engine issues during take-off.
The A320 Airbus landed about one hour after take-off.
A Perth Airport spokesperson said passengers were rescheduled onto two flights this morning.
Captain Achmad Sadikin, Indonesia AirAsia CEO, said in a statement: “This was a precautionary turnback made upon detecting an abnormality and our crew responded swiftly and in full accordance with established procedures.
“Throughout the situation, guests were kept informed by the crew, and arrangements were made to support their needs at the airport.”
