Passengers used slides to evacuate a Qantas aircraft with a malfunctioning engine after it diverted while flying from Port Moresby to Brisbane on Sunday.
The aircraft diverted to Cairns as a precaution after the pilots detected fumes in the cockpit but it was given clearance to take off again after an inspection.
It was taxiing to the runway when the pilots received an engine overheat warning on the No. 1 engine.
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It is understood an attempt to shut down the engine was unsuccessful and the captain called for the evacuation using slides on the opposite side of the aircraft.
Qantas confirmed that the evacuation had taken placed and said the captain had made the decision to evacuate in the interests of safety.
The airline said there were no injuries as a result of the evacuation and passengers were accommodated in Cairns while it arranged onward travel.
“Our technical teams will be inspecting the aircraft thoroughly to understand what occurred,’’ it said in a statement.
“We thank the crew for their professionalism in dealing with this issue and passengers for their understanding. The safety of our passengers and crew is always our highest priority. “
