A full emergency turnout was called at Kaitaia airport yesterday morning a Great Barrier Airlines pilot reported problems with his landing gear.
The Northland Age understands that the wheels were down but were not showing in the cockpit as locked.
The pilot, with two passengers on board, circled the airport
for some time, burning fuel and to allow the scheduled Air New Zealand flight to land and leave again. One of the passengers on that flight, Kaitaia GP Dr Lance O'Sullivan, joined the two ambulance crews that were on standby, along with two Kaitaia Fire Brigade appliances and police.
The plane made what appeared to be a copybook landing at 9.15, the pilot declining to respond to questions.
