Hercules kept on ground by crack

The New Zealand Air Force Hercules sent to Indonesia to help after the killer tsunami struck there on Sunday has been grounded after a crack was found in the manifold, the Defence Force said last night.

The Air Force had had the Hercules since the 1960s, a spokeswoman said.

"The Hercules is unserviceable at the moment.

"A small crack was found in the manifold of the aircraft, which means it can't fly."

A New Zealand maintenance team was working on the aircraft over night and trying to obtain a new part from Indonesia or further afield, the spokeswoman said.
"The aircraft should be back flying by tomorrow."

Meanwhile, the plane's flight crew and a New Zealand medic who was flown over on the Hercules were working with Indonesian authorities to co-ordinate rescue efforts. Nearly 80,000 people have been killed in that country.

"They're still busy, even though they're not in the air," the spokeswoman said.

It is not the first time New Zealand aircraft on aid missions have been hampered by problems.

In 2002, a New Zealand Air Force Hercules bound for Bali to help in post-bombing operations was grounded in Darwin because of a cracked windscreen.

- NZPA