KEY POINTS:
An Air New Zealand Boeing 737 was forced to turn back to Christchurch this afternoon after an engineering fault was detected.
Flight NZ546 bound for Wellington with 86 passengers aboard, landed safely at 4.08pm.
Airport emergency services were on stand-by as the plane came in.
An Air New Zealand spokeswoman said the aircraft was on approach to Wellington when crew detected an "issue" with one of the plane's wing flaps and it was decided to return to Christchurch.
Engineers were checking the plane, she said.
- NZPA
