Jetliner diverts, lands in New Zealand after hearth shuts down engine

Wellington, New Zealand — A passenger airplane landed safely at a New Zealand airport on Monday after a fireplace shut down certainly one of its engines, the nation’s hearth service stated.

The Virgin Australia Boeing 737-800 jet sure for Melbourne, Australia, landed within the New Zealand metropolis of Invercargill after the hearth pressured a diversion.

Hearth vehicles met the airplane because it arrived in Invercargill about 50 minutes after takeoff from Queenstown, stated Lynn Crosson, shift supervisor for Hearth and Emergency New Zealand.

The reason for the engine hearth and the variety of passengers on board the airplane weren’t instantly recognized, Queenstown Airport spokesperson Catherine Nind stated.

Virgin Australia stated in an emailed assertion that the incident could have been brought on by “a potential fowl strike.”

Queenstown, with a inhabitants of 53,000, is common vacationer vacation spot on New Zealand’s South Island, well-known for snowboarding, journey tourism and alpine vistas.