The one occasion when a building in New Zealand has been threatened by aircraft, to my knowledge, is when a (male) flying instructor took a single engine plane and flew it around Auckland, threatening to crash into the Sky Tower unless his lady returned to him. He choose the wrong night for his attention seeking behaviour, because it was the night of the General Election, which was totally engaging the media. I don't think there's any security precaution that would have stopped that happening.

The question of what level of risk is acceptable will, doubtless, have to be looked at, and people will doubtless overreact, but I don't see what PC has to do with it. The one impact of PC on security is that it stops profiling of likely risks, so old guys who might not survive the flight have to have their shoes inspected to make it clear anyone can be searched: but I don't think a youngish Somali woman in Blenheim would have been high on the threat assessment, even if there had been screening.

Well done crew, BTW. Pity none of the passengers were in a position to take her out.

If I was a pax Id get me a good lawyer (preferably American me thinks) and sue for mental stress etc etc.......or whatever.

And, as the company hasnt transported me to my destination in the advertised manner and has actually put my life at risk by their 'best practice', Id sue em again!

Well done to the aircrew by the way!

As for no security checks? WTF?

I had to take my belt off flying out of MT Isa the other day as it set the alarm off!

DogGone:ooh:

You might have trouble suing in NZ its probably covered by ACC.

Just got back from NZ arrived their on late jan and there had been something like 9 murders since the new year.

Its not the first attempted high jacking in NZ. A demented drug crazed idiot drove onto nelson airport in the early 90's and tried to high jack a SAAB. Domestic airports in NZ are a lot smaller than in the UK and europe, most couldn't afford the level of security that we have in Europe.

Flightlessparrot, if Helen is so good why aren't you voting for her?

Glad it all worked out and hope the pilots make speedy recoveries.

Time for Change
 

Plane firearm stunt dismissed as irresponsible

The Civil Aviation Authority has condemned a newspaper stunt involving a reporter boarding a plane at the country's biggest airport carrying a knife and a fake revolver.
Just 24 hours after two pilots were stabbed in an attempted hijack over Christchurch, a Sunday News reporter told today how he was able to breach security at Auckland Airport.

The reporter arrived at the domestic terminal yesterday for the 10.30am Air New Zealand flight to Napier, carrying the kitchen knife, with a 20cm blade and a toy firearm in hand luggage.
He said there were no checks and "I was free to walk on with anything I pleased".
"After checking in and simply presenting my boarding pass at the gate, I stepped on to NZ5751 for the 50-minute journey to Hawke's Bay."
The CAA's communications manager Bill Sommer today dismissed the stunt as "irresponsible and illegal".
He said the reporter's action could have compromised the safety of other passengers and could have led to aircraft delays.
But he refused to say if he felt the reporter should face prosecution saying that was a matter for the CAA's enforcement unit and police.
Air New Zealand did not return calls this morning.
Aviation Security Service say that passenger luggage in aircraft containing less than 90 seats is not screened.
Smaller airports also have no facilities for screening passengers.
National leader John Key said with the sophisticated security systems in place at Auckland Airport's domestic terminal, it was "unsatisfactory" a revolver and knife could be taken onto an aircraft.
But he caution should be exercised when reacting to Friday's incident during which a woman stabbed two pilots and a passenger.
"Clearly public safety is paramount but we need to see if there is a systemic problem," he told the Sunday News.
Asha Ali Abdille, from Blenheim, appeared in Chrsitchurch District Court yesterday charged with attempted hijacking, wounding, and injuring with intent to injure.
She was remanded in custody until February 22 for psychiatric reports.
She allegedly pulled out a knife on Friday's flight between Blenheim and Christchurch and demanded to be taken to Australia.
A scuffle developed during which the pilot and co-pilot and a passenger were injured.
The flight landed safely in Christchurch.
The pilot underwent emergency surgery for a cut hand and was released from Christchurch Hospital this morning.
The co-pilot and the passenger, a Christchurch mother-of-two, were treated for stab wounds and discharged.
The names of all three were suppressed by the court.
Air New Zealand, the CAA and the Aviation Security Service are investigating the attempted hijack.

The reason they don't put any secure door on the flightdeck is that as a 19 seater, it wouldn't usually qualify to carry cabin crew, so the only folk who can look after the pax is the pilots, thus they need to be able to look over their shoulder or intervene in a medical emergency, etc.

The J41 is a 29 seater so does need CC, hence it's safe to seal the flightcrew off. I think.....