Two aircraft have been seriously damaged in separate incidents on Great Barrier Island. No-one was injured in the incidents involving 10-seat Britten Norman Islanders operated by Fly My Sky, airline CEO Keith McKenzie said. The first incident occurred on Friday as the plane was landing at the Okiwi airstrip in the north of the island because the main airfield at Claris had been closed due to a large bushfire nearby. McKenzie said the plane had suffered significant structural damage and it could not be flown off the island. They would have to sling the plane under a helicopter and fly it 120 kilometres back to Auckland International Airport. McKenzie said there was no need for an investigation into the accident. "We are aware of what it was," he said. "It was wind sheer, just on touchdown, that created that problem." Yesterday at Claris a fire truck reversed into the back of another Islander causing serious damage to the tail. McKenzie said it would take several days before the plane could be repaired and flown back to Auckland. He said the airline, which had four Islanders, was able to use other aircraft to maintain schedules.
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| Nothing obvious... BN Islander ZK-DLA at Okiwi after its heavy landing. |
Minor injury on the first accident - Passenger with back pain had to be seen by a nurse from the health centre
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