Global General

Special

Newsmaker

Asia Pacific

America

Middle East

Europe

Africa

Air New Zealand plane makes emergency landing

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-12-26 20:31

WELLINGTON -- Sixty-five passengers and four crew on a Mount Cook flight from Wellington to Christchurch made an emergency landing on one engine in Wellington on Friday.

The Air New Zealand link flight, Flight NZ5015, from Wellington to the South Island city of Christchurch, with 65 passengers and four crew aboard, landed safely back in Wellington just after 06: 00 p.m. local time (0500 GMT).

Air New Zealand said the flight from Wellington had to turn back after an indicator light forced one engine to be shut down.

Shortly after take-off, pilots observed an indicator light and shut down one engine, an Air NZ spokeswoman said.

The reason for the engine shut down is not currently known and the aircraft will be inspected by engineers, she said.

Wellington Airport was put on full emergency with fire crews standing by until the aircraft safely landed and the passengers disembarked.