Passengers flying from Auckland to Sydney faced mid-air drama when their plane developed a mechanical problem with one of its wings and was forced to turn back.
The Aerolineas Argentinas Airbus A340/200 was about 30 minutes out of Auckland when it is understood to have developed a problemin the left wing flaps.
A pilot was seen inspecting the faulty wing flap through a passenger window, although passengers said there was little sign the plane had a mechanical problem.
About 170 people were on board the flight, which was on the last leg of a journey from Argentina.
"The plane took off and after 30 minutes of flying, the plane decided to land again," passenger Sergio Kabilio told the Herald.
"One [passenger] said it had a problem in the wings, but I don't know exactly what."
Mr Kabilio, who lives in Australia, said passengers were "very, very calm" by the time the aircraft arrived in Auckland.
The pilots were excellent and "everyone was grateful".
Another passenger, Tiago Mader, said the plane had been in the air around 40 minutes when he learned the flaps in the left wing of the aircraft were "broken".
Brazilian student Paula Souza said she had heard the pilot was called down to view the wing from the passengers' compartment.
Passengers were given little information at the time, but as a regular user of Aerolineas Argentinas she had learned to expect "anything".
Air New Zealand provides ground services for Aerolineas Argentinas, and a staff member at Auckland Airport said yesterday that the passengers would be flown to Sydney on Air New Zealand flights.
Air Line Pilots' Association vice-president Peter Fleming said if the aircraft had a problem with one of its flaps, it was unlikely ever to have been in any real danger.
It would probably have two sets of flaps on each wing, but although the failure was "obviously not something that's normal", it was not something that would have been considered "a major failure".
Mr Fleming - who has flown the smaller Airbus A320 - said flight crew would likely have consulted one another and would have contacted engineers in New Zealand if necessary.
