Plane makes emergency landing

A passenger plane owned by a troubled airline was forced to make an emergency landing after power loss in one of its engines.

The twin-engine Partenavia P68B, belonging to Great Barrier Airlines, got into trouble about three minutes after taking off from the Island's Claris Airfield on November 4.

A Civil Aviation Authority report says the right-hand engine "suddenly lost power, then surged back up again" before another loss 10 to 15 seconds later.

As the power continued to surge, extra power was selected for the left engine, while the right idled.

The aircraft returned to the airfield for an "uneventful landing", the report says.

A maintenance investigation discovered the fuel line to the engine pump was in contact with heat from the engine exhaust. The heating may have caused vapour to develop in the fuel line.

The report says this was the second time the aircraft had experienced such a problem.

The incident is the latest in a string of troubles suffered by the airline dating back to 1998 when the entire fleet was grounded by former CAA director Kevin Ward for "critical deficiencies", including flying aircraft with known defects.

Last July, terrified passengers watched as a propeller came off their aircraft mid-air.

And in September, a Piper Cherokee 6 crashed into a swamp moments after take-off from Claris.

The CAA and Transport Accident Investigation Commission are still investigating.

The airline did not respond to repeated requests for comment.