KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia X flight D7237 en route to Kuala Lumpur from Perth, Australia was forced to turn back one-and-a-half hours into the trip due to a technical issue.
The Airbus 330 that took off just before 7am (AWST) today landed back in Perth approximately 10am with marine and land emergency services that had arrived on site in anticipation of a crash into the water.
In a separate statement, AirAsia X confirmed that the flight landed safely at 10am (Perth time), about three hours after it departed with 359 passengers on board.
"Passengers were attended to by our ground staff upon landing and all necessary assistance is being provided," said AirAsia X.
It said that airline engineers are taking precautionary steps to check the aircraft.
"Guests on board the flight will be transferred to the next available flight or the recovery flight which is scheduled to depart Perth at 20:30 hours (Perth time) tonight.
"The safety of our guests is our utmost priority," it said.
Meanwhile, a passenger said the plane was shaking like a "washing machine" when it experienced a problem with its engine.
Passengers also said they first heard a loud bang before the plane started shaking violently.
It was then they heard the captain had announced the plane would be returning to Perth.
“Please listen to everything. Our survival depends on your cooperating. Hopefully everything will turn out for the best,” the captain was heard saying.
Passenger, Dave Parry told the Australian press that after the bang, a smell similar to an engine seizing wafted through the cabin for a minute or two.
"I had a sense the plane was turning and then the captain announced that it appeared the left engine had seized," he recounted.
"It was a terrifying ordeal. Judging by the cabin crew's reaction, I could tell it was “really bad”.
“He (flight captain) said `I hope you all say a prayer, I will be saying a prayer too and let’s hope we all get back home safely’," AAP quote passenger, Sophie Nicolas.
Describing the ordeal, Nicolas said a lot of people were crying and just as the flight landed safely, everybody burst into applause.
Another 24- year-old passenger, Brenton Atkinson, 24, also on board the same flight said the flight was shaking like a washing machine.
A brief video recording of the situation onboard the plane was recorded by two passengers, who also described it as a " terrifying" experience. The 40 seconds video showed passengers sitting put in the plane which was violently shaking has also gone viral since.
“It was essentially the engine seized up I think, that’s what they told us anyway. It was literally like you were sitting on top of a washing machine. The whole thing was going. We could see the engine out the window which was really shaken on the wing, ABC quoted him saying.
Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai when asked to comment said it was a normal procedure for a flight to turn back due to technical issue.
“A flight turn back is the best option to ensure the passengers safety and no accident happen. Once there is technical issues, they (the airlines) have to comply with safety measures. Safety is the utmost issue we are concern of. That's why in Malaysia our air traffic control as well as International Civil Aviation Organisations (ICAO) standard have to comply with the technical requirements,” he said at Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's Hari Raya Open House.