Alison Caldwell reported this story on Thursday, September 2, 2010 08:13:00

TONY EASTLEY: Some of the passengers on Qantas flight 74 which sparked an emergency at San Francisco airport, are due back in Australia this morning.



The flight had no sooner taken off from San Francisco on Monday evening, US time, when one of the four engines on the Boeing 747 burst into flames sending a shower of sparks into the night sky.



Emergency services were put on alert as the aircraft dumped tonnes of fuel and returned to the airport.



The recorded conversation between the pilot and US air traffic controllers has been released and it reveals what happened in the cockpit following the engine failure.



Alison Caldwell reports.



(Pilot talking to air traffic control)



PILOT: Qantas 74 on decent to flight level 200, we require radar vectors for a return to San Francisco.



ALISON CALDWELL: That's the captain of Qantas flight 74 speaking to air traffic control soon after he realised the plane had suffered engine failure and needed to return to San Francisco.



MALE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: Qantas 74 confirm that you are negative emergency.



PILOT: Negative emergency Qantas 74.



ALISON CALDWELL: Twenty minutes into the flight the crew noticed excessive vibration in engine number four of the Boeing 747.



PILOT: Qantas 74 we'll be jettisoning fuel for approximately 30 minutes, do you have any preferences of where you would like us to hold?



ALISON CALDWELL: The aircraft circles twice then heads straight for San Francisco, with the pilot warning air traffic control that the plane's too heavy to remain in a holding pattern.



PILOT: Qantas 74 have been advised due to our weight we're unable to stay within confines of the holding pattern.



MALE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: Qantas 74 that's approved, maintain whatever boundaries you need for your hold.



PILOT: Qantas 74...



MALE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: Qantas 74 we're in communications with your dispatch now and they're wondering if you know the reason for the engine failure at this time?



PILOT: Qantas 74, look that sort of information we don't know the reason, the exact reason and tell dispatch that we're not in a position to pass that sort of information to them at this stage.



MALE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: Qantas 74, will do.



ALISON CALDWELL: About three minutes later the pilot requests priority, declaring:



PILOT: Qantas 74 heavy, be advised we're declaring a pan, pan, pan, Qantas 74, that is and we're requesting fire services just to be standing by for our arrival in San Francisco.



FEMALE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: Qantas 74 heavy, understand you require emergency now.



PILOT: Qantas 74 heavy, we have 231 souls on board and the fuel remaining at this stage is 72 tonne and be advised we have no dangerous goods on board.



ALISON CALDWELL: Just over one minute later the pilot details his concerns about the engine.



PILOT: The nature of the engine failure was severe damage and even after shutdown, it had quite a large amount of sparking coming from it so we just wanted to make sure that there is absolutely nothing there at the moment.



And ground if you could pass to the emergency services that we are much obliged for their trouble.



ALISON CALDWELL: Most of the passengers from Qantas flight 74 are due back in Australia this morning after boarding flights in Los Angeles last night.