SINGAPORE, May 16, 2011 (AFP) - An engine fire forced an Indonesia-bound Cathay Pacific Airbus to make an emergency landing in Singapore shortly after it took off from the city-state Monday, airport officials said.
All 136 passengers on board the Airbus A330-300 were unharmed, the airline said.
Changi Airport's emergency services met the plane on the tarmac and extinguished a fire in one of the engines, airport authorities said in a statement.
"A Cathay Pacific flight, CX715, bound for Jakarta, departed Singapore Changi Airport at 0112 hours today (1712 GMT Sunday).
"Due to an engine-related issue, the aircraft turned back to Changi Airport and landed safely at 0157 hours."
The airport had to close a runway for more than an hour due to the incident.
Singapore broadcaster Channel NewsAsia quoted a passenger as saying he heard loud bangs mid-flight as the plane shook violently before the lights went out.
The passenger also said he detected a burning smell and that many of those on board prayed before the landing.
A video on Channel NewsAsia showed the pilot, Captain Bradley Chic, speaking to the passengers after the landing, praising them for their composure.
"The best that we can ever ask of passengers is to just stay cool, stay calm, listen to the directions of the cabin crew which you all did, and for that we thank you," Chic said to applause from the passengers.
Cathay said in a statement that the aircraft's crew received "a stall warning from the No. 2 engine" shortly after it took off.
"The crew shut down the Rolls-Royce engine when they received the alert (and) an emergency landing was declared," the statement said.
"The aircraft stopped on the taxiway and sparks from the No. 2 engine were reported. They were doused by fire extinguishers."
Cathay Pacific and Rolls-Royce are investigating the incident, which has been reported to the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department, the airline said.
Two Qantas jets -- one of them an Airbus A380 superjumbo -- made emergency landings at Changi Airport within the space of two days in November last year.
