SYDNEY – A plane heading to Shanghai returned safely to Sydney after an in-flight problem left a gaping hole in an engine casing.
China Eastern Airlines said the crew on Flight 736 noticed damage to the air inlet on the left engine after takeoff Sunday evening and the captain decided to return.
The airline said on its Sina Weibo microblog that the plane landed safely and the airline was taking care of passengers’ needs. The Airbus A330 plane has two engines.
Passengers told Australian media they heard a massive noise and smelled something burning.
Passenger Ashley Beck told Australia’s Channel Nine television that after the passengers heard the loud noise, the crew started moving everyone from the left side of the plane.
Photos showed a jagged, vertical hole in the side of the casing.
