Aircraft trouble on departure from ZQN

An Air New Zealand flight from Queenstown to Auckland was delayed this morning after mist was seen coming from the engine.

Flight NZ612 was scheduled to depart ZQN at 10.35am but when it was pushed back from the gate and turned on, an alert was raised about 'mist' coming from the aircraft.

"There was no fire or flames coming from this aircraft," a spokesperson for the airline says. "Like with some cars, it is not uncommon to see some breather mist (vapour) emitted from the engines when they are started. This mist may look like smoke but is not an indication of fire.

"A 'breather mist' in an aircraft engine refers to the fine oil mist that is expelled from the engine crankcase through the breather tube, which is a vent designed to release pressure buildup from the engine's internal combustion process. Essentially, it's a small amount of oil vapor mixed with air that escapes from the engine as a mist due to blow-by gases created during combustion."

Emergency services responded but were stood down.

Captain David Morgan, Air New Zealand's Chief Operational Integrity and Safety Officer, says: "The aircraft returned to the gate to undergo an engineering inspection while passengers remained onboard, and the aircraft is due to depart Queenstown for Auckland shortly.

"We’d like to thank customers for their patience and reassure them that safety is our highest priority."

Passengers were no doubt jittery after a number of plane crashes and incidents in recent weeks and months.

An airport spokesperson says the airfield is open. However, there have been some minor delays to operations as a result.