Air Force investigates complaint over flight carrying Clark

Prime Minister Helen Clark has expressed great faith in the operational judgment of the country's air force pilots after a complaint over the way a plane she was a passenger on landed at Hokitika airport a week ago.

The air force is investigating after a complaint was made to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) after the aircraft aborted two landings and then put down in low visibility.

Former pilot Jim Jamieson told tonight's TVNZ Close Up @ Seven programme that he believed the landing manoeuvre was dangerous and that the air force crew had breached CAA regulations.

It is the second time public consternation has been raised over Miss Clark's travel arrangements.

Six people have been charged in relation to Helen Clark's high speed motorcade journey last July.

Dangerous driving charges were laid following the incident, when the prime minister's motorcade reportedly reached speeds of up to 140km/h during a 205.6km trip from Waimate to Christchurch airport, which took 96 minutes.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister told NZPA tonight she had expressed great faith in the operational judgment of the air force's pilots.

She also said it would be grossly defamatory for anyone to suggest she had issued the crew with instructions from the back of the plane.

Helen Clark was in Hokitika on January 23 to officially open the first marae established on the West Coast since the 1860s.

Air force chief Air Vice Marshall John Hamilton tonight said categorically the prime minister was never in danger "because I have every faith in the ability of our pilots to conduct the flying operations in a safe manner".

He told the TVNZ programme that the aircraft had made two "missed approaches" to Hokitika Airport but could not land because of the weather.

The pilot had executed correct missed approach procedures after minimum approach criteria could not been met.

"On the third approach they met all the criteria for cloud base and visibility from which to be able to fly a visual approach to the runway".

AVM Hamilton said a complaint had been made to the CAA which the air force was investigating.

"I have every confidence in the way the aircraft was flown," he said.

The air force had a dispensation from CAA regulations although nine times out of 10 it adhered to the CAA rules and regulations.

It had a dispensation because the nature of its operation was "hugely different" to that conducted by civil or commercial pilots.

After listening to AVM Hamilton's comments, Mr Jamieson said his concerns was still not entirely allayed and he believed standard procedures had not been met.

AVM Hamilton said that at no time while circling was the aircraft flying at less than 350ft above the ground.

He said the air force would talk to Mr Jamieson and report back to the CAA.

- NZPA