Plane loses pilot over Auckland
Air New Zealand says it is examining its jumbo jets after a pilot fell from the side of one after it took off from Auckland's International airport.
A company spokesman, Mark Champion, says several people on the ground saw the 1.3 metre long pilot fall from the plane onto a car park in Manukau city.
The plane, with 358 people on board, was on its way to Japan when the piece fell off.
"The decision was made to return the aircraft to Auckland after it was established that the plane had lost the pilot. This was done to ascertain whether any other damage might have occurred," says Champion.
Champion says it is also easier for repairs to be carried out at the Air New Zealand maintenance base at Auckland Airport.
While the airline says it was a disconcerting experience for passengers the aircraft was not in danger at any time.
"The pilot is not structural and its detachment did not impact the performance of the aircraft."
The Civil Aviation Authority says it is very unusual for something to fall off the side of a jumbo jets and it will investigate the incident.
CAA spokesman, Bill Sommer, says the pilot was a non structural part of the aircraft and that Air New Zealand is making a visual inspection of all of its jumbo jets at airports around the world.
Passengers faced a five hour delay before a replacement jumbo was made available.
Last year a five kilo pilot fell off an Air New Zealand jet and crashed through the roof of a south Auckland warehouse.
