(June 25): An AirAsia X flight bound for Kuala Lumpur was forced to turn back to Australia after an engine problem left it "shaking like a washing machine”, BBC reported Sunday.
The pilot was quoted by BBC as saying the decision to return to Perth 90 minutes after leaving was made because of "technical issues" with the passenger plane.
AirAsia X Berhad confirmed in a statement that flight D7237 for Kuala Lumpur took off at 6:40 a.m. local time with 359 passengers on board and landed back at Perth Airport shortly before 10 a.m.
AirAsia X is the long-haul arm of low-cost carrier AirAsia Bhd, one of the largest low-cost airlines in the world.
"The safety of our guests is our utmost priority," the airline said in its statement, although it did not give details about the technical issue behind the incident.
CNN said some passengers on the twin-aisle Airbus A330-300 aircraft posted videos on social media showing the shaking inside the cabin.
"I thought I might die," wrote @maesaya on Instagram, along with a video clip showing the plane's seats rattling.
A spokesman for the Perth Airport was quoted by CNN as saying: "The plane turned around and safely landed back at Perth Airport."
A passenger Damien Stevens told CNN: “We were asleep and heard a loud bang around the 1-hour-and-15-minute mark.”
"It shook for the whole ride back, close on two hours.
"It was really shaky, very scary," Stevens said, adding the pilot asked passengers to pray, twice. Passengers were told to hold "the brace position" for about two minutes during the landing, which was smooth.
He praised the pilot, who Stevens said shook hands with everyone after the flight was over. "The plane erupted with applause once we landed,” he added.
Stevens and friend Mitch Jamieson were on their way to Myanmar for a holiday.
BBC quoted police as saying marine emergency services north of Perth were put on standby to prepare for a possible water landing.
CNN meanwhile added, while it's not yet clear as to what caused the issue with the jet's Rolls-Royce engines, any imbalance inside a rapidly-spinning jet engine can cause violent vibrations that can be felt throughout the aircraft.
Twin-engine aircraft like the A330 are designed to fly and land safely with only one engine operating, CNN added.
CNN said this is the second significant incident this month revolving a jet's Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engine and the third since May.
A China Eastern Airlines A330, also powered by Trent 700, was forced to turn back to Sydney just after takeoff for Shanghai, after part of its engine nacelle broke apart. Similar damage was sustained on an EgyptAir flight in May.
CNN said Sunday's incident, however, appears to have been unrelated to those issues. Photos suggest the external structure of the engine nacelle was undamaged.
"We are aware of the incident and will be working closely with relevant partners to understand the cause of the issue," a spokesman for Rolls-Royce told CNN.
In December 2014, an AirAsia plane crashed into the Java Sea, killing all 162 people on board, after the aircraft's rudder control system malfunctioned during the flight.