Click photo to enlarge
An engine fire on a Jetstar flight has forced the
emergency evacuation of 170 passengers at the NSW regional
airport of Newcastle.
The number one engine on the left side of the Airbus 320
caught fire briefly as the plane landed about 6.30pm AEST on
Tuesday after a flight from Brisbane.
A Jetstar spokesman said when a ground crew worker and the
pilots became aware of the fire an emergency evacuation
began.
Passengers were moved from the plane without their carry-on
baggage as a safety precaution.
The fire is believed to have been caused by a small amount of
excess jet fuel around the engine.
The incident lasted only a few seconds, the spokesman said,
and extinguished itself.
No one was injured during the incident.
Passengers booked on the return flight to Brisbane were given
overnight accommodation while the aircraft was inspected.
The Airbus 320 will remain grounded until safety checks were
completed and the cause of the fire was determined.
