QF101 flight is forced to TURN BACK to Sydney after ‘potential mechanical issue’

A Qantas flight from Sydney to Fiji was forced to turn back after it suffered a ‘potential mechanical issue’. 

An on-board indicator told the pilots of QF101 about a fault and they landed back in Sydney shortly before 11am, with engineers now examining the Boeing 737 on the ground.

Flight tracking showed the plane doing loops off the coast before it made its way back to Sydney.  

It comes just a day after a Qantas plane from Auckland to Sydney issued a mid-air mayday when one of its engines failed. 

Pilots of QF101 received a fault indicator and had to land back in Sydney, with engineers now examining the Boeing 737 

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Flight tracking showed the plane doing loops off the coast before it made its way back to Sydney

The flight was on its way to Nadi Airport at around 9am when it turned around and landed back at Sydney airport, just before 11am.

‘The pilots followed standard procedures and the aircraft has landed normally in Sydney,’ a Qantas spokesperson said.

‘Engineers will examine the aircraft.

‘We thank customers for their patience and we are working to get them on their way to Fiji as quickly as possible.’

Yesterday, Qantas passengers revealed how they heard a loud bang as the left engine failed mid-air – but said they were unaware of the seriousness of the situation until after they landed. 

QF144 sparked fears around the world when the pilot issued a midair mayday call halfway into the plane’s journey from Auckland to Sydney, with paramedics rushing to Sydney Airport and 200,000 people tracking the troubled flight on FlightRadar. 

But the flight’s passengers were blissfully unaware of the serious situation. The first travellers to alight the plane said they weren’t told the 747-800 had suffered engine failure, simply that there was some sort of issue after hearing a loud bang mid-air.

Qantas Flight QF144 touched down in Sydney on Wednesday after mid-air scare

Georgia, left, said: ‘You wouldn’t have known anything was going on really.’ Meanwhile, an English woman (right) praised the passengers on-board the flight, as well as the crew for their calmness

Flight Radar indicated the flight, travelling from Auckland to Sydney, is currently over the water

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They revealed how there were gasps in the cabin when they were eventually told what had happened after landing safely.

The pilot is understood to have shaken the hand of all 145 passengers as they left the aircraft. 

Passenger Simone Schmidt told the media: ‘We were told nothing had happened, they were totally professional and we only found out when we got back on land. 

‘I heard just a bang and maybe a slight shudder but that was it. We had no idea at the time, we didn’t realise the whole engine had gone, we just heard a bang.’

Her husband Colin added: ‘There were a few gasps when they told us when we were back on the runway but by then we had already landed. Even then they told us that it had been a slight malfunction.’

Qantas is considered one of the world’s safest airlines without a fatal crash in more than 70 years.