A Boeing 747 was forced to return to OR Tambo International Airport after an engine failed more than one hour into the flight, KLM said on Monday.
Air France and KLM general manager Yeshwant Pawar said flight 592 was on its way to Amsterdam when engine number one failed only one-and-a-half hours into the flight and it was forced to return to Johannesburg.
”We are pleased that all 419 passengers and 18 crew members were safe as the landing was uneventful. Regular check-ups were done on the aircraft before taking off but there were no signs of problems with the engine.”
Pawar said the aircraft was taken for another check-up as a regular procedure to ensure the safety of their passengers but it was not clear what had caused the failure yet.
He said all passengers were accommodated in hotels, provided with meals and telephones to contact their relatives.
”Passengers will be accommodated on the first available flight. Some of them will leave on tonight’s flights and others tomorrow [Tuesday],” said Pawar.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said it was waiting for the airline to file a report about the incident before it could comment on the issue.
”We heard about the incident from the media. We are waiting for KLM to file a report to us explaining what happened exactly. We’ll only be able to comment after that,” said spokesperson Obert Chakarisa. — Sapa