An Air New Zealand passenger plane narrowly averted disaster when its engine caught fire just seconds before landing at Wellington Airport. The incident, which occurred on Monday at approximately 2 p.m. local time, involved an ATR-72 aircraft flying from Christchurch to Wellington.
Eyewitness footage captured the dramatic moment as the plane’s left engine began emitting smoke and flames during its final approach. The fire became visible approximately six seconds before touchdown and intensified after the aircraft landed on the runway.
Lucy Macleod, a passenger traveling with her son, described the harrowing experience to local media outlet 1News. “And then the glow got larger… turned out to be flames, a bit of smoke and, as we were landing, someone yelled out ‘fire’,” Macleod recounted. She noted that the landing was hard as all power went off, and a large plume of smoke appeared outside the aircraft.
Emergency crews were on standby and quickly responded as the plane came to a stop on the runway. The flight crew swiftly shut down both engines to prevent the situation from escalating. All passengers were safely evacuated, with no injuries reported.
Macleod commended the cabin crew for their calm and professional response, praising their quick action following the captain’s evacuation order. She described the scene as tense, noting the presence of many teenagers, a baby, and even a beagle in the cargo hold, adding to passengers’ concerns.
A spokesperson for the fire service confirmed that the incident involved an engine fire. “There had been a drop in the oil pressure of the engine, the oil obviously was leaking and made contact with hot parts of the engine and ignited,” the spokesperson explained.
The incident has drawn attention to aviation safety procedures and the importance of crew training in emergency situations. Air New Zealand is expected to conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the engine fire.
