Qantas plane lands safely after mayday call made over ocean

SYDNEY (AP) — A Qantas flight traveling from New Zealand to Sydney landed safely after it issued a mayday call over the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday.

Qantas Flight 144 landed at Sydney Airport from Auckland, New Zealand, after a 3.5-hour flight between the neighboring nations’ most populous cities.

The Boeing 737 experienced an issue with one of its two engines about an hour from Sydney, Qantas told Australian Broadcasting Corp. in a statement.

The mayday was downgraded to a PAN — possible assistance needed — before the flight landed.

New South Wales Ambulance confirmed its paramedics responded to the alert.

A mayday call is issued when a flight is in grave and imminent danger and needs immediate assistance, according to Airservices Australia.

Qantas did not immediately respond to the AP’s request for comment.