WELLINGTON, New Zealand — An engine failure on a passenger jet taking off from Sydney, Australia on Friday caused the aircraft to spin before making a safe emergency landing, Qantas airline said.

At the same time, a grass fire broke out along part of the runway, Sydney Airport said in a statement. It was not known if the two events were related. The fire has been brought under control, but flight delays are expected.

Qantas did not say how many passengers were on board the twin-engine Boeing 737-800 bound for Brisbane when the engine failed with a loud bang. No injuries were reported.

“We understand that this would have been an unpleasant experience for customers and we will be contacting all customers this afternoon to provide assistance,” Qantas Chief Pilot Captain Richard Tobiano said in a statement. “We will also conduct an investigation into the cause of the engine. emission.”

Sydney Airport said its main runway was still in service. The grass fire broke out along a parallel runway that was being inspected before it could be used again, an airport statement said.

It said delays were expected and advised travelers to check the status of their flight with the airline.

Mark Willacy, a reporter for the Australian Broadcasting Corp., told the news station that an off-duty pilot who was a passenger on the plane helped the Qantas pilot during the emergency landing.

A flight tracking website shows the aircraft was in the air for about 20 minutes, circling above the airport.