Light aircraft loses cockpit door during landing at Queenstown Airport

The door to the cockpit fell off the aircraft during a landing at Queenstown Airport. Photo / File

A light aircraft lost its cockpit door while flying into Queenstown Airport this morning.

An airport spokeswoman said at about 10.20am the pilot of a microlight aircraft, which had two people on board including the pilot, radioed ahead to warn ground crew that the cockpit door had fallen off.

"They weren't sure how their landing was going to go.

"So we activated our usual emergency procedures and activated the emergency centre but we soon stood it down once they landed.

"They landed safely and are both okay.''

Queenstown fire brigade, Frankton fire brigade and St John's were alerted as back up to the aerodrome's crews but turned back before they had reached the airport, on Sir Henry Wigley Drive in Frankton.

The plane landed without incident and the passengers and crew were uninjured, he said.

No scheduled passenger jet flights were disrupted, although two arrivals were cancelled and one delayed due to high winds around the same time.

- additional reporting by Otago Daily Times