Virgin Blue mid-air drama forces landing

Passengers aboard a Virgin Blue 737 saw an engine on fire before their flight turned
back to Launceston shortly after take-off on Thursday.
Passengers and people on the ground reported seeing flames after what the airline
said was an "engine surge".
One of the 151 passengers, Sonia Parker, said there was a loud bang soon after the
11.20am (AEST) take-off.
"The pilot said they had checked everything and they had an engine down and that we
could make it to Sydney on one engine, but he wasn't happy so we were heading back
to Launceston."
The plane circled over Launceston for 30 minutes while the pilot made checks and
alerted the airport.
Virgin Blue spokeswoman Amanda Bolger described the problem as an "engine surge".
"The pilot communicated to the passengers that everything was fine, and they had
sufficient engine power to land safely," she said.
Ms Bolger said the passengers were put on another plane to complete their journey.
The incident will be investigated by the airline and the Australian Transport Safety
Bureau.