Helen Clark fears for life in an Aztec
Thread Starter
Helen Clark fears for life in an Aztec
13.04.05 UPDATED at 11.00am
The Prime Minister's plane made an emergency landing this morning after a mid-air scare.
Helen Clark said she wondered whether she would "live or die" when a door on her chartered aircraft came open during turbulence above the Kapiti coast.
The Piper Aztec reportedly lost altitude rapidly after the door flung open and diverted to Paraparaumu Airport, near Wellington, where it landed at 9am.
Helen Clark told National Radio she was sitting in the rear of the plane reading her papers on the journey from Rotorua to Wellington when they struck turbulence without any warning.
The sudden movement of the plane dislodged the door and as it began to open, two police officers travelling with Helen Clark grabbed hold of it.
They could not manage to shut the door, so they held on to it through the emergency landing at Paraparumu airport.
"When the plane plunges like that, it's obviously quite shocking," the Prime Minister said.
"When you see the door can't close you know that it is a serious incident.
"But I had full confidence in the way the pilot handled the matter and in the strength of the New Zealand police who did their utmost to hold it".
The Piper Aztec is a small 6-seater passenger plane capable of a cruising speed of 150 knots.
On board the six-seater plane was Helen Clark, two accompanying police officers and her press secretary Kathryn Street.
Helen Clark said the pilot was unable to communicate with the passengers as there was no intercom.
She said everyone involved in the incident was "shaken" but the police officers "performed superbly".
She would not comment on whether the door had been closed properly before take-off, saying that the investigation would look at that question.
A spokesman from the PM's office said she was flung about in the bad turbulence that caused the door to open. Her seat belt restrained her but she was still lifted out of her seat and slammed back with her left elbow taking most of the impact.
A precautionary x-ray was done at Kapiti Medical Centre and the arm was sore but not broken.
Helen Clark was shaken and shocked by the incident, the spokesman said.
A rescue control centre spokeswoman said the aircraft made a distress call shortly before landing at Paraparaumu. Police and fire services were alerted.
Keith McKenzie, managing director of Mountain Air planes, confirmed that the Prime Minister was on one of the company's Piper Aztec planes on a flight from Rotorua to Wellington this morning.
"All we are aware of is that our company was conducting a charter flight around 8.30am and just prior to descending to Wellington there was some turbulence and the front passenger door popped open," he said.
He said that as a precaution the pilot declared an emergency and diverted to the nearest airport.
Helen Clark was in Rotorua last night, speaking to the Grey Power annual conference.
The Civil Aviation Authority was also aware of the emergency and the Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) will investigate.
- NZPA, NEWSTALK ZB, HERALD ONLINE STAFF
The Prime Minister's plane made an emergency landing this morning after a mid-air scare.
Helen Clark said she wondered whether she would "live or die" when a door on her chartered aircraft came open during turbulence above the Kapiti coast.
The Piper Aztec reportedly lost altitude rapidly after the door flung open and diverted to Paraparaumu Airport, near Wellington, where it landed at 9am.
Helen Clark told National Radio she was sitting in the rear of the plane reading her papers on the journey from Rotorua to Wellington when they struck turbulence without any warning.
The sudden movement of the plane dislodged the door and as it began to open, two police officers travelling with Helen Clark grabbed hold of it.
They could not manage to shut the door, so they held on to it through the emergency landing at Paraparumu airport.
"When the plane plunges like that, it's obviously quite shocking," the Prime Minister said.
"When you see the door can't close you know that it is a serious incident.
"But I had full confidence in the way the pilot handled the matter and in the strength of the New Zealand police who did their utmost to hold it".
The Piper Aztec is a small 6-seater passenger plane capable of a cruising speed of 150 knots.
On board the six-seater plane was Helen Clark, two accompanying police officers and her press secretary Kathryn Street.
Helen Clark said the pilot was unable to communicate with the passengers as there was no intercom.
She said everyone involved in the incident was "shaken" but the police officers "performed superbly".
She would not comment on whether the door had been closed properly before take-off, saying that the investigation would look at that question.
A spokesman from the PM's office said she was flung about in the bad turbulence that caused the door to open. Her seat belt restrained her but she was still lifted out of her seat and slammed back with her left elbow taking most of the impact.
A precautionary x-ray was done at Kapiti Medical Centre and the arm was sore but not broken.
Helen Clark was shaken and shocked by the incident, the spokesman said.
A rescue control centre spokeswoman said the aircraft made a distress call shortly before landing at Paraparaumu. Police and fire services were alerted.
Keith McKenzie, managing director of Mountain Air planes, confirmed that the Prime Minister was on one of the company's Piper Aztec planes on a flight from Rotorua to Wellington this morning.
"All we are aware of is that our company was conducting a charter flight around 8.30am and just prior to descending to Wellington there was some turbulence and the front passenger door popped open," he said.
He said that as a precaution the pilot declared an emergency and diverted to the nearest airport.
Helen Clark was in Rotorua last night, speaking to the Grey Power annual conference.
The Civil Aviation Authority was also aware of the emergency and the Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) will investigate.
- NZPA, NEWSTALK ZB, HERALD ONLINE STAFF
Moderate, Modest & Mild.
He said that as a precaution the pilot declared an emergency
As usual though, what is a frequent and not uncommon event has been turned into a "drama in the high skies"..."the door flung open....Helen Clark was shaken and shocked by the incident"
Someone really ought to take the fabricators of stories such as these to task, and challenge them for their UNTRUTHFUL, INACCURATE, sensationalist cr@p.
And Helen has only proven, by his stupid statements (When you see the door can't close you know that it is a serious incident....the strength of the New Zealand police who did their utmost to hold it..the police officers "performed superbly".....Helen Clark said she wondered whether she would "live or die") that the further away from microphones and media he's kept the better off EVERYONE, including himself, would be.
Guest
Posts: n/a
Who in their right mind would put a Prime Minister, even the one we are blessed with, in an Aztec in this day and age. Do the bean counters not look past the lowest quote? Surely they must be aware of the FAR part 23 with regard to performance requirements.
Maybe just a spin doctors way of getting John Tamahere off the front page. Very elaborate damage control perhaps.
Prospector
Maybe just a spin doctors way of getting John Tamahere off the front page. Very elaborate damage control perhaps.
Prospector
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: WX at our destination is 32 deg with some bkn cld, but we'll try to have them fixed before we arrive
Posts: 302
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
What a joke...a door opening in a lightie is hardly a "serious incident" 
Surely the "declaration of an emergency" was rather the pilot informing ATC of the intended diversion to close a door.
Investigation? Bloody hell - the door opened midflight, so what?
I have had a couple of these "serious incidents" in a Duchess on takeoff...tell the tower, do a circuit, land, close the door, try again
Surely the "declaration of an emergency" was rather the pilot informing ATC of the intended diversion to close a door.
She would not comment on whether the door had been closed properly before take-off, saying that the investigation would look at that question.
I have had a couple of these "serious incidents" in a Duchess on takeoff...tell the tower, do a circuit, land, close the door, try again
Evertonian
C'mon people. Lets wait for the investigation before making any harsh judgements. Remember, there were four others on board with her, any one of them could've wanted to jump!
Moderate, Modest & Mild.
As much as I love New Zealand, I think MP Tamihere's remarks are pretty spot on
...and not only the Government. Why do so many Kiwi women have short back and sides, and get around in Bermuda shorts??
THE New Zealand Government is made up of a bunch of "queers" and "tossers", dominated by politically correct and butch "front-bums", otherwise known as women.
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Springfield
Posts: 248
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
That is the view of the Government's own star Maori MP, John Tamihere - and Prime Minister Helen Clark is unable to sack him because of his popularity with Maori and middle-ground voters.
but the first quote is priceless
Guest
Posts: n/a
Kaptin M,
Because it would appear to be the only way to attract the attention of the peoplewho count to score a cabinet post in this Government. A couple of Drunk in Charge of vehicles on the CV also goes a long way, Tamihere has so many it must be a required qualification to be able to tell Uncle Helen where to get off, and at this point in time appear to get away with it.
,
Prospector
Because it would appear to be the only way to attract the attention of the peoplewho count to score a cabinet post in this Government. A couple of Drunk in Charge of vehicles on the CV also goes a long way, Tamihere has so many it must be a required qualification to be able to tell Uncle Helen where to get off, and at this point in time appear to get away with it.
,
Prospector
Last edited by prospector; 13th Apr 2005 at 05:07.