A British passenger aboard a plane that caught fire after leaving Queenstown Monday night has described feeling a big bang moments after takeoff.
A Virgin Australia flight headed for Melbourne carrying 67 passengers was diverted to Invercargill after flames were seen coming from the back of the Boeing 737.
Passengers were being bussed back to Queenstown Tuesday morning.
The airline said the emergency was the result of a possible bird strike but the 737's engine needed to be inspected by engineers.
Michael Hayward said he remembers feeling a big bang about 10 seconds after take-off.
He was sitting just behind the wing and said he could feel the heat of the flames through the cabin.
The experienced traveller said seeing the flames was "definitely an arenaline rush".
He told Midday Report some passengers were initially panicked and upset.
"There was initial panic, a few tears, when this issue started but within five minutes people were talking to each other, people calming each other down."
He was facing another flight to Melbourne today but was feeling "not too bad" about the prospect, he said.
'Flames out the back of the engine' - Virgin passenger