A transcript of the conversation between Qantas flight 141 and air traffic control has revealed the dramatic moment the pilot sent in a mayday call before landing at Auckland Airport. 

Emergency services were on standby at the airport for the emergency landing of the September 26 transtasman flight after a fire alert from the cargo hold started to flash. 

The conversation, obtained in an OIA by the Herald, detailed why the mayday call was initially made and the response to the incident. 

First contact was made between Airways international air ground (IAG) and the flight about 10.36am. 

“MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY Qantas ONE FOUR ONE and um yeah we had a forward cabin fire, tracking direct LUNBI [a waypoint about 425km west of Auckland Airport] now,” the flight’s pilot said. 

IAG then cleared the Boeing 737 to lower its altitude before air traffic control (ATC) contacted the rescue co-ordination centre (RCCNZ). 

“Hi [REDACTED] it’s [REDACTED] here from Auckland Oceanic.” said ATC to RCCNZ, “You’ll be getting a call shortly from our [REDACTED] in Christchurch, but I thought I’d call you straight away.” 

It was explained that a fire had been reported in the forward cargo hold, 169 people were on board and a DETRESFA message would be sent through. 

A message like this is only sent through when a situation occurs where there is reasonable certainty an aircraft and its occupants are threatened by grave and imminent danger and require immediate assistance, according to online air safety repository Skybrary. 

Several fire trucks and multiple ambulances were called to Auckland Airport after Qantas flight 141 made a mayday call in September. 

Nearly 10 minutes later, the pilot said the plane was coming in to Auckland “as fast as we can” but all other operations were normal, while the full emergency had already been declared at Auckland Airport. 

“The fire indication is intermittent at the moment so yeah, but as far as we know it’s controlled,” said the pilot, “but if anything changes we’ll let you know, but we will need the, obviously, the welcoming committee on arrival.” 

It was agreed fire services would meet the plane as it taxied off the runway and a heat gun would be used to see if there was a fire inside. 

Two helicopters were also called into action to meet the flight at the airport. 

The aircraft landed about 11.47am and was stationary soon afterwards, with the emergency response vehicles on the ground given permission to move in. 

The DESTRESFA was cancelled about one minute later by ATC while the emergency services were approaching the plane. 

The runway reopened soon afterwards, about 11.58am, with all traffic returning to normal. 

At the time, passengers on the flight told the Herald 15 fire engines were there to greet the plane and that they were made aware of an issue during the journey. 

Fuschia Bituniwaidranu and Mitchell Greenaway, both 19, were on board a flight from Sydney to Auckland when the pilot made a mayday call. Photo / Cherie Howie 

“The pilot announced that there was a blinking light on this dashboard that signalled heat,” said passenger Fuschia Bituniwaidranu. 

“They had an alert that there was some sort of smoke or heat coming from somewhere. 

“We were nervous but we were close to home so that’s what kept me having faith.” 

Bituniwaidranu and her partner Mitchell Greenaway said other passengers seemed nervous and they ultimately had “a bit of a rough landing”.