SINGAPORE, Feb 24 — Scoot Flight TR135 from Xi’an in China to Singapore was forced to return about 20 minutes after take-off yesterday due to an unspecified technical issue.
Passengers on board claimed they saw “sparks” during the flight’s takeoff, raising concerns about the plane’s safety, but the airline said there was no engine fire on the plane, The Straits Times reported last night.
According to the airline, the Airbus A321neo aircraft landed safely in Xi’an Xianyang International Airport at 1.56am, and all passengers and crew disembarked without incident.
It added that emergency services were activated at the airport as a precaution.
“As engineers on the ground required more time to resolve the issue, a decision was made to cancel the flight,” Scoot was quoted as saying.
But some passengers on the flight told the Singapore daily about what they witnessed, and their subsequent anxiety.
“I was sitting behind the engine, so I witnessed the engine emitting sparks like a rocket,” Singaporean Ng Xinyu, 28, was quoted as saying.
Ng, who was on board with her friend Nigel Seah, said that they noticed a “flickering red effect” on the ceiling, prompting the pilot to announce the return to Xi’an.
“There was complete silence, except a Singaporean family who was consoling one another,” she related.
After landing, Ng said she noticed a strong fuel smell, which dissipated quickly.
Flight TR135 was originally scheduled to arrive at Changi Airport at 7.35am.
Scoot has since apologised for the flight disruption and arranged hotel accommodations and rebooked passengers on another flight from Xi’an to Singapore today.