A Sydney-bound Qantas Boeing 737-800 carrying approximately 160 passengers was forced to divert to Christchurch on September 5, 2026, after suffering a suspected engine issue and shooting orange flames from its left engine shortly after takeoff from Queenstown, New Zealand.
Passengers aboard flight QF122 experienced a terrifying departure on Saturday afternoon when repeated banging noises rocked the aircraft within seconds of leaving Queenstown Airport. Ground witnesses across the region watched in astonishment as the narrowbody jet climbed over the South Island mountains while shooting bursts of fire from its left propulsion unit. This type of plane has a seating capacity of around 160. Flight QF122 departed Queenstown, New Zealand, heading towards Sydney just after 12.05pm AWST before swiftly being redirected to Christchurch after the crew reported a suspected engine issue, with flight-tracking data showing the aircraft departing at about 4:05 p.m. local time.
The aircraft, registered as Boeing 737-800 registration VH-VZQ and operated by Qantas, initially climbed away from Queenstown. Flight crews quickly elected to abandon the trans-Tasman crossing, turning back to avoid crossing the Tasman Sea and diverting back to Christchurch, landing safely just 50 minutes later at Christchurch Airport, where emergency services were waiting as a precaution. Tracking data records the aircraft as landing at Christchurch at about 5:07 p.m.
Witness Accounts and Cabin Chaos on Board QF122
On the ground, residents reported hearing loud bangs from the ground, with one witness telling Stuff, a New Zealand media outlet, they heard four or five massive explosions
as the Boeing 737 departed, and another saying they witnessed several bursts of flame. Queenstown residents reported hearing loud bangs from the ground. Vision obtained by Nine News shows the fire erupting out of the plane as it takes off. Vision from the ground shows what appears to be several flames bursting intermittently out of the engine. Footage captured by 1News showed bursts of flames appearing from the aircraft’s left engine as it climbed skyward away from Queenstown Airport.
Nic Chamberlain was among those in Queenstown who saw flames and heard a series of loud noises. It was like just shoots of orange flames shooting out the back.
You can tell it was coming out of the left engine, he told RNZ. There was a delay before the loud noises followed, he said. This was kind of like rapid succession boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. And then it was loud enough that everyone kind of turned their heads and looked to see what the noise was,
he said.
Rory McDonnell, who shared footage appearing to show fire coming from the engine, said the frightening sequence began within moments of departure, as repeated banging noises rang through the aircraft and passengers realised something was wrong. The experience was definitely a frightening one,
Mr McDonnell told NewsWire. Within seconds of taking off, there were loud and constant bangs that felt like they were coming from underneath the aircraft.
He said the banging continued every few seconds and was loud enough to unsettle the cabin, before passengers saw flames and sparks from the left side of the aircraft. There was understandably some panic among passengers, with some faint screaming heard around the cabin.
Mr McDonnell said rough conditions made the situation even more unsettling. The aircraft was being thrown around quite a bit.
Emergency Response and Investigation Status
The service had been scheduled to take off from Queenstown at 3.35pm and arrive in Sydney at 4.50pm (local time). The New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority initially attributed the incident to a bird strike but later updated its position, saying it was still investigating the cause of the engine incident. There were no reports of injuries. RNZ understands about 160 passengers were on board.
A Qantas spokesperson said its pilots are trained to manage situations like this. One of our flights to Sydney experienced a suspected engine issue after take-off from Queenstown this afternoon and the aircraft diverted to Christchurch,
a Qantas spokesperson said. “Our pilots are highly trained to manage situations like this and the aircraft landed safely. We know this would have been a distressing experience for passengers and will be contacting all customers to provide support.
Airline Response and Next Steps for Disrupted Passengers
A Qantas flight bound for Sydney from Queenstown in New Zealand has been diverted to Christchurch after flames appeared to sputter from the engine. Flight QF122 was scheduled to fly back to Australia on Saturday afternoon.
