Bird strike has been effectively ruled out as a potential cause of an engine failure on an Air New Zealand plane last week.
The plane, operated by Air New Zealand subsidiary Mount Cook Airlines, made an emergency return to Wellington Airport shortly after 6pm on Friday, after an engine was damaged shortly after take-off, causing the cabin to fill with smoke.
A spokesperson for Air New Zealand says it is almost certain that bird strike was not the cause of the failure.
An investigation into the incident is underway.
