KEY POINTS:
The Civil Aviation Authority has launched a "desktop investigation" after a Pacific Blue Boeing 737 was blown away from a boarding gate at Wellington Airport.
The incident happened in June, shortly after passengers disembarked the plane, and was caught by an airport CCTV camera.
The footage was then posted on the website liveleak.com (see below) and shows airport workers running for cover as the plane moves away from the boarding gate.
CAA spokesman Bill Sommer said the incident was reported to the authority by the airline shortly after it happened.
He said the cause of the accident was likely to be a gust of wind.
"When you get an aircraft with a large tail, especially a 737, and you get it side on to the wind, you get a lot of force. It tends to rotate around its main wheels so the nose goes one way and the tail goes the other," Mr Sommer said.
"There is an investigation underway. It's not something we race out and start taking measurements for. We get a full report from the airline which is quite normal and the airline does their own investigation as part of their normal procedures," Mr Sommer said.
Pacific Blue spokesman Phil Boeyen said the plane had 180 passengers on board and the aircraft's wheels were chocked before the brake was released.
"At approximately 8.34 am, during disembarkation, prevailing strong, gusty southerly winds against the aircraft's tail caused the front of the aircraft to move away from the aerobridge. No-one was injured in this incident," Mr Boeyen said.
He said the airline has reviewed its procedures and will now leave the brake on and main wheels chocked in winds stronger than 30 knot winds.
He said on the day the accident happened wind gusts were upto 45 knots.
Mr Sommer said the authority will review the airline's report.
He said under CAA rules, airlines and individuals had to report accidents and this is what happened in the Pacific Blue case.
