'Aircraft malfunction': Chinese domestic flight makes emergency landing in Nanjing; passengers report burning smell

A Chinese domestic flight of Shandong Airlines was forced to make an emergency landing in Nanjing on Friday after multiple passengers reported a burning odour, according to the South China Morning Post.

Flight SC4667 en route from Qingdao to Shanghai diverted back to Nanjing after it experienced an “aircraft malfunction”. The airline said the situation was managed carefully to ensure passenger safety.

“All affected passengers have been properly accommodated, and another aircraft has been dispatched to operate subsequent flights,” Shandong Airlines said in a social media post.

A passenger quoted by South China Morning Post shared on social media that something appeared to be stuck in the aircraft’s left engine.

Recalling the incident, the passenger described being terrified and noted the plane shaking side to side by about 10 degrees.

The captain announced the emergency landing in Nanjing, which the passenger said was carried out very smoothly.

The traveler also praised the crew’s handling of the situation, writing, “Thumbs up to the Shandong Airlines pilots.”