Singapore Airlines (SIA) is being investigated by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) after an engine pod on a Boeing 747 aircraft hit the ground while the pilot was trying to abort a landing.

There were no passengers on the cargo plane.

A podded engine is a jet engine in a pod, typically attached below the wing or to the tail of the aircraft.

The serious incident involving an SIA Cargo Boeing 747-412F freighter occurred on Nov 28 at Sydney Airport, the ATSB said in a notice on its website.

Pilots will abort a landing when they deem that a safe landing cannot be executed, for whatever reason. This can happen just before touchdown.

The ATSB said investigations will include interviews with flight crew on board the aircraft at the time, and other relevant parties involved.

It will also obtain other relevant information, including cockpit recorded data. A report will be released at the end of the probe, which should be completed by the second quarter of next year.

"Should a critical safety issue be identified during the course of the investigation, the ATSB will immediately notify relevant stakeholders so appropriate and timely safety action can be taken," it said.

An SIA spokesman told The Straits Times that Flight SQ7292, operating from Singapore to Sydney on Nov 28, executed a go-around due to a rejected landing. There were no passengers and two crew members on board, he said.

"During the go-around, one of the aircraft's engines made contact with the runway. The subsequent landing was uneventful. The aircraft taxied to the terminal uneventfully," he added.

Engineers assessed the damage to the aircraft and a decision was made to delay the outbound flight, the spokesman said. He added that SIA is cooperating fully with the ATSB and Singapore's Transport Safety Investigation Bureau, which is also investigating the incident.

Separately, the airline confirmed that an SIA jet that suffered a "suspected tail strike" on landing in Yangon on Nov 25 is undergoing repairs.

Flight SQ998, an Airbus A330-300, suffered a tail strike while landing at Yangon International Airport but no injuries were reported. "The aircraft taxied to the terminal uneventfully and all passengers disembarked normally," SIA said.

A tail strike occurs when the aircraft's tail hits the runway during either take-off or landing.

• Additional reporting by Wong Kai Yi