Unpleasant surprise

Press, 8 July 1982, Page 3

Unpleasant surprise

PA Wellington Passengers aboard an Air New Zealand Boeing 737 got an unpleasant surprise yesterday morning when the aircraft had to abort its landing to give way to a light aircraft. One of those aboard, Mr Christopher Cameron, said he was concerned about the incident in light of recent disclosures about "near misses” associated with Auckland’s air-control radar. Mr Cameron said a twinengined light aircraft flew

across the Boeing’s flight path as it was flying over Island Bay before turning to approach from the south. The light aircraft was'then seen to circle off the Wellington Heads before turning to make its approach, forcing the boeing’s captain to climb away and make a second approach. On the intercom the captain told passengers: “I’m sorry about this. We were No. 1 to land but this light aircraft has gone in ahead of us. It was very rude and

inconsiderate of him.” The traffic-control supervisor at Wellington Airport, who' declined to give his name, said there was nothing in the incident to cause any alarm. “All we are prepared to say is that the controller, who had both aircraft in sight, decided to change the landing sequence,” he said. He said the Boeing had the Air Albatross Cessna 402 in sight and at no stage was there any loss of separation between the two aircraft.