5 Dec 2017

Air NZ flight to Japan forced to turn back to Auckland

2:21 pm on 5 December 2017

An Air New Zealand flight to Japan was forced to return to Auckland 20 minutes after take-off this morning due to engine trouble.

Air New Zealand plane

Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King

The flight to Narita - carrying 268 customers and 14 crew - landed shortly before 11am.

Air New Zealand said the captain chose to shut down the engine as a precaution.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand said six appliances were on standby on the tarmac, and they hosed down the aircraft once it landed to cool its brakes.