QantasLink flight makes emergency landing

A Qantas plane bound for Cairns made an emergency landing after an engine was stopped mid-flight.

About 12.10pm (AEST), a QantasLink Dash-8 aircraft operating as QF2495 from Horn Island to Cairns was diverted to Weipa, on Cape York.

A Qantas spokeswoman said the crew carried out a precautionary in-flight shutdown of the aircraft's number two engine, in response to a cockpit warning.

"The crew responded in accordance with their training and the aircraft landed normally without incident," the spokeswoman said.

A passenger who was sitting next to the engine told the Cairns Post online the engine stopped about 10 minutes after take-off.

The passenger said the 60 passengers and crew on board were calm during the 20-minute journey to Weipa.

"On the outside you were calm but on the inside I was definitely thinking about the different possible outcomes," the witness said.

It is believed the front landing gear was damaged on landing.

Passengers left the plane safely, but on Friday afternoon it remained stuck on the runway.

The Qantas spokeswoman said QantasLink was assessing the aircraft.

The incident has been reported to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=583518