Image: A Virgin Australia passenger plane caught fire in its engine after taking off from New Zealand on the 17th. \Video screenshot

[Ta Kung Pao News]According to reports from the Associated Press and the Daily Mirror: Boeing passenger planes, whose safety has been widely questioned recently, have been involved in an accident again. On the 17th, a Boeing 737-800 passenger plane of Virgin Australia Airlines caught fire in its engine after taking off from New Zealand and had to make an emergency landing, injuring two people on board. It was reported that the cause of the accident may be a bird strike.

On the 17th local time, a Virgin Australia plane carrying 67 passengers and 6 crew members took off from Queenstown and was scheduled to fly to Melbourne, Australia. But shortly after takeoff, one of the plane’s engines shut down due to fire and had to be diverted to Invercargill in the South Island. According to the Daily Mirror, one passenger and one crew member were injured in the accident. Virgin Australia Chief Operating Officer Argus said the cause of the accident may be a bird strike. He added that the affected passengers will be arranged to stay overnight in Invercargill and wait for a new flight.

On the 16th, the Boeing 757 military aircraft that New Zealand Prime Minister Laxon was traveling to Japan broke down, forcing the prime minister to switch to a commercial aircraft. The Boeing 757 broke down while refueling in Papua New Guinea, leaving the New Zealand business delegation and journalists stranded in Port Moresby, while Laxon switched to a commercial flight to Japan. New Zealand media pointed out that the two Boeing 757 aircraft of the New Zealand Defense Force have been in service for more than 30 years, and their age makes them increasingly unreliable. New Zealand Defense Minister Collins said on the 17th that the ongoing flight problems were “embarrassing” and that the Ministry of Defense was considering letting Laxon and his delegation take commercial aircraft from now on.