‘The loudest noise’: Passengers tell of terrifying moment plane’s engine ripped open above Sydney Airport

Passengers on a China Eastern flight departing Sydney Airport have told of their terror and confusion as a gaping hole opened up in the plane’s engine.

Flight MU736 had taken off from the tarmac about 8.45pm yesterday bound for Shanghai when the plane’s engine malfunctioned.

“All of a sudden it got really loud,” passenger Ashley Beck told 9NEWS.

Fellow traveller Leigh Stewart described the engine incident as a  “massive noise, the loudest noise, it was really obvious there was something going on with the wing.”

In an audio recording, which was posted to aviation enthusiasts’ group Flight, the pilot can be heard telling air traffic control of the “engine fault”.

“Engine number one fault,” he can be heard saying.

Ms Beck said airline staff acted swiftly as the incident unfolded.

“They started moving everyone from the left side of the plane over and shutting the windows. Everyone was really calm,” she said.

The plane was turned around and landed heavily, but safely, at the airport with fire crews on-scene.

No one was injured.

The aircraft remains grounded as investigators from the Australian Safety Transport Bureau begin their initial examination.

It is believed damage to the air inlet of the aircraft’s left engine was behind the decision to turn back the Airbus A330.

China Eastern Airlines is yet to make official comment.