SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 31 (UPI) -- A Qantas flight was forced to return to San Francisco International Airport early Tuesday when the jetliner's engine exploded in mid-air, officials said.
The Boeing 747, carrying 212 passengers, had departed for Sydney, Australia, at 11:10 p.m. Monday when, 45 minutes into the flight, the No. 4 engine on the plane's right side exploded, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
The explosion made a hole in the engine's external casing, the Chronicle reported.
The pilot declared an emergency, and as a precaution, dumped fuel over the Pacific Ocean, and returned to the airport, the Chronicle reported.
Airport fire trucks surrounded the aircraft when it arrived about 12:45 a.m., the Chronicle said. UPI
