A Qantas plane operating flight QF122 from Queenstown to Sydney was forced to divert to Christchurch on September 5, 2026, after suffering a suspected engine issue shortly after departure. Ground witnesses and passengers reported seeing bursts of flames and hearing multiple loud bangs coming from the aircraft’s left engine as it climbed away from Queenstown Airport over New Zealand’s South Island.
Sydney-Bound Qantas Flight Diverts After Engine Flames Erupt on Takeoff
The 15-year-old Boeing 737-800, registered as VH-VZQ, was scheduled to take off at 3:35 p.m. and arrive in Sydney at 4.50 p.m. local time. Flight-tracking data recorded the aircraft departing at about 4:05 p.m. before heading toward Christchurch. The flight was the most tracked aircraft on Flightradar24, with more than 5,000 people following its progress.
Passengers and Witnesses Report Explosions and Flames
People on the ground and onboard the full flight recounted harrowing scenes. Resident Luke Pace described seeing “fireballs” coming from one of the engines, while another witness heard four or five massive explosions as the aircraft departed. Mark Venning, driving along Frankton Road, reported hearing sharp popping noises resembling loud gunshots before seeing orange flames emerge from the left engine. Brothers Daniel and Campbell Longmire also witnessed the event from Frankton, noting that the engine produced approximately six or seven bursts accompanied by loud bangs that echoed across the valley.
Inside the cabin, passengers experienced immediate concern. Sydney-based Kiwi nurse Ange Taranto, travelling with her husband Dave, stated that passengers were initially told by a flight attendant over the tannoy that the aircraft was having trouble with the landing gear. Taranto, who was sitting near the window, used in-flight Wi-Fi to message a holiday video to her three young adult children just in case
something happened. The captain subsequently clarified the situation to passengers, announcing, We have engine troubles and we’re going straight to Christchurch.
Another passenger told aviationtoday.in that they heard consecutive loud explosions coinciding with the aircraft blowing fireballs from the engine before the plane steadied after about a minute.
Safe Landing and Emergency Response in Christchurch
The aircraft landed safely at Christchurch Airport at about 5:07 p.m. Local footage captured the plane touching down as smoke appeared to come from its left engine. Passengers on board expressed relief through cheering and clapping upon landing, before noticing the scale of the emergency response waiting on the tarmac.
A full emergency response was mobilized ahead of the arrival, including multiple Fire and Emergency New Zealand crews, five ambulances from St John New Zealand, and standby firefighters stationed on the tarmac as a standard procedure. A Christchurch International Airport spokesperson confirmed that firefighters were present as a precaution for the inbound plane experiencing trouble.
There were no reports of injuries among the 158 passengers and crew onboard. Following the landing, passengers were put up in hotels for the night, with affected customers receiving accommodation, support, and new flights.
Airline Response and Investigation Status
In a statement issued that evening, Qantas confirmed the aircraft experienced a suspected engine issue after take-off from Queenstown this afternoon,
adding that our pilots are highly trained to manage situations like this and the aircraft landed safely.
The airline acknowledged that we know this would have been a distressing experience for passengers and will be contacting all customers to provide support.
Regarding the cause of the incident, the New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority initially pointed to a bird strike before updating its position to state that it is still actively investigating what caused the engine trouble. Queenstown Airport confirmed that the facility remained operational following the diversion.
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