Open hatch forces emergency landing

The Eagle Air's cargo door flew open just after it took off for a flight to Whangarei and the plane had to turn back. Photo / William Bradley

An Air New Zealand Eagle aircraft is undergoing maintenance after its cargo door flew open as it took off.

The 19-seat Beech 1900D aircraft had nine passengers and two pilots on board when the hatch flew open as it took off from Auckland Airport last Friday morning.

Aviation photographer William Bradley was at the site at the time and rushed to get his camera.

"I saw the plane, as normal - normal height, normal everything. But I just noticed the door was wide open," he said.

"By the time it went past me, the door was wide open ... just as it left the ground."

An investigation by the Transport Accident Investigation Commission was carried out after the incident.

The aircraft was given the all-clear to make a trip to Hamilton the next day.

Air New Zealand spokeswoman Tracy Mills said the plane - which had taken off on a flight to Whangarei - had to turn back and make an emergency landing after the open door was spotted.

She said the aircraft was now being looked at as part of a maintenance programme.

According to the Eagle Airways website, Eagle Air is a wholly owned subsidiary of Air New Zealand and operates 18 Beech 1900D airliners on the Air New Zealand domestic route network.