Eagle Air plane makes emergency landing

File photo / Wairarapa Times-Age

An Eagle Air plane has made an emergency landing at Auckland Airport because of an open cargo door.

Air New Zealand owns Eagle Air. Spokeswoman Tracy Mills said the flight to Whangarei took off at 8.10am but only reached a height of 61m before the cargo door opened.

She said the plane, carrying nine passengers and two crew, returned to Auckland Airport and no baggage was lost.

Ms Mills said engineers were looking into why the cargo door opened.

She said Air New Zealand apologised for the inconvenience and had put the passengers on other services to Whangarei this morning.

Fire Communications spokesman Jaron Philips said firefighters were called out and there were no injuries.

The Transport Accident Investigation Commission is sending two people from Wellington to investigate the emergency landing.

- NZHERALD STAFF