Superjumbo flight diverted after engine problem
A Qantas Airways flight diverted to Dubai lands safely after an oil problem forced the shutdown of one of the superjumbo jet’s four engines.
The flight crew shut down the A380′s engine after noticing a problem with its oil quantity, Qantas spokeswoman Olivia Wirth said. Flight QF31, heading from Singapore to London, landed safely, and none of the 258 passengers or 25 crew was hurt.
Exactly a year ago, another Qantas A380 had a mid-air engine explosion after take-off from Singapore. In that case, a defective engine pipe leaked oil, sparking a fire that destroyed a turbine disc and sent pieces of the disc into the plane’s wing, an Australian safety report said.
A380s around the world were grounded so engine maker Rolls-Royce could replace the part. Ms Wirth said the anniversary was a coincidence and the events were unrelated.
“This is a one-off incident,” Ms Wirth said of the engine problem.
“Obviously, it will be a priority of ours to work out what the particular problem is in this engine.”
Engineers were inspecting the plane in Dubai to see whether it could continue to London.
The airline said it would find hotel accommodation or alternative flights for passengers.
Last weekend, Qantas grounded its entire fleet and threatened to lock out unions that had been staging months of strikes.