A Boeing 737 carrying 120 passengers, including nine MPs, from Wellington to Auckland was forced to divert to Ohakea for an emergency landing last night as smoke came from the cockpit.
The Air new Zealand flight from Wellington to Auckland made an emergency landing at Ohakea, 30km
north west of Palmerston North, at 9.30pm after smoke was smelt in the aircraft and the 122 passengers got off the plane without incident.
The flight landed on its second attempt as the crew was not sure the landing gear was down on the first attempt.
North Shore MP Wayne Mapp, one of the politicians on the flight, told the Herald he did not see any smoke, but "when you start smelling smoke you realise there's something amiss".
Dr Mapp, who has a pilot's licence, said: "Everybody was very calm and relaxed and everything was done very professionally."
He said the MPs included Chris Carter, David Cunliffe, Murray McCully, Paul Hutchison, Judith Collins, Richard Worth, Hone Harawira and Jackie Blue.
"There was certainly a little smoke in the air. It was perceptible at the front of the passenger cabin and I imagine more than that in the cockpit. People were cool, calm and collected but there was the odd nervous joke," Mr Cunliffe said on Radio New Zealand.
A replacement Air New Zealand aircraft departed at 2.30am, Ohakea public information officer Paul Stein said.
He said the Airbus A320 departed for Auckland. Air NZ said the flight landed at 3.15am in Auckland.
It is believed the replacement aircraft was delayed by negotiations with the Civil Aviation Authority over whether it was allowed to land at Ohakea.
Last night emergency services from Palmerston North were called to assist the Ohakea ground crew when word of the impending emergency landing came from the plane.
It was also reported police blocked off roads around the air base in case the flight had to land on a road.
Air New Zealand spokesman David Jamieson said 122 passengers and crew were on board the plane en route to Auckland from Wellington when the pilot turned back about 100km north of Ohakea.
"The pilot decided to divert to Ohakea because the crew smelt smoke," he said.
The emergency landing had gone smoothly and all the passengers got off the plane without incident.
Engineers travelled to Ohakea on the replacement aircraft. The 737 remains at Ohakea.
Passengers were accommodated in a gymnasium at the airbase until the new plane arrived.
- Staff reporter, NZPA