Air NZ Boeing turns back to Los Angeles with cracked windscreen

12.00pm

An Air New Zealand flight was due to leave Los Angeles late this morning for Auckland after turning back three hours into the flight yesterday with a small crack in a cockpit window.

The captain made the decision to turn back when the crack was noticed in a window beside the first officer.

The Boeing 767-300 aircraft landed safely in Los Angeles and the window was repaired in three hours but the passengers were put up in a Los Angeles hotel and the flight was due to take off today.

Air New Zealand spokeswoman Lucy Powell said from Los Angeles the flight NZ53 was scheduled to fly to Auckland via Tahiti.

It is not known what caused the windscreen to crack.

- NZPA