An AirAsia X flight traveling from Perth, Australia to Malaysia was forced to turn around Sunday after a technical issue with one of the plane's engines caused it to shake violently.
According to The Independent, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau has launched an investigation into an engine failure that subjected the Airbus A330 to "moderate airframe vibration", forcing the pilot to return to Perth Airport.
Passenger Damien Stevens told CNN that the pilot asked passengers to pray twice and to hold the brace position ahead of the landing.
"We were asleep and heard a loud bang around the 1-hour-and-15-minute mark," Stevens told CNN. "It shook for the whole ride back, close on two hours."
"I could tell by the cabin crew's reaction that it was really bad," passenger Sophie Nicolas told ABC News. "I was crying a lot, a lot of people were crying, trying to call their mums and stuff but we couldn't really do anything just wait and trust the captain."
Stevens said the plane "erupted with applause" after a smooth landing.
[CALLOUT]
The flight departed Perth with 359 passengers around 6:40 a.m. local time Sunday and landed back at Perth at 10 a.m.
"The safety of our guests and crew is of the utmost importance to us. We are currently conducting an investigation into the cause of the incident together with our engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce," the airline said in a statement.
[READMORE] READ MORE: Severe Turbulence Leaves 26 Airline Passengers Injured [/READMORE]
CNN reported the issue with the Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engine is the third since May.
"We are aware of the incident and will be working closely with relevant partners to understand the cause of the issue," a Rolls-Royce spokesman told CNN.
Sunday's incident comes just two weeks after a China Eastern Airlines flight from Sydney to Shanghai was forced to make an emergency landing after a gaping hole appeared in one of the engines. It's also the latest in a string of safety incidents involving the Malaysian carrier.
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