Air NZ flight diverted from Wellington to Auckland, did not strike runway
· RNZAn Air New Zealand flight into Wellington on Thursday diverted to Auckland due to strong wind shear conditions.
In a statement, Air New Zealand head of flight operations, Captain Hugh Pearce, said flight NZ 2-7-2 from Brisbane experience a change in wind direction just before touchdown, with the main wheels touching the runway in the process.
He said the pilots diverted to Auckland due to the weather conditions and made a safe landing.
Contrary to other news reporting, Air New Zealand confirmed to RNZ the tail of the plane did not strike the runway on Thursday.
The aircraft remains on-ground in Auckland while crews do maintenance checks.