The first officer who flew with the Pacific Blue pilot charged with careless use of an aircraft in June 2010 admits he felt unease during the flight's departure from Queenstown Airport.
Christian Rush, a qualified pilot of 23 years, told the Queenstown District Court and Judge Kevin Phillips yesterday, although he had full confidence in his captain's flying ability, the flight had "aroused" some feelings of unease.
"I wouldn't say I was scared. I felt an unease."
The 54-year-old pilot, who has name suppression, has been charged by the Civil Aviation Authority after piloting a Boeing 737 carrying 71 passengers bound for Sydney on June 22, 2010, in conditions of cloud, darkness and with crosswinds reportedly exceeding the company's wet runway limit.
The departure had provoked cockpit computer warnings of "don't sink" and "bank up", which Mr Rush said were "normal" and easy to set off.
"It's simply a heads-up".
Mr Rush also questioned the figure-of-eight contingency plan he and the pilot chose to avoid that day, saying it would not be a safe option in case of an emergency.
"[During the figure of eight] I cannot fulfil the obligations of my company, of my captain and of the 64 passengers in the back with that red screen of death staring at me; no thank you."
The "red screen of death" Mr Rush referred to was the red warning in a cockpit that alerts a pilot when an engine has failed.
The figure-of-eight circuit requires the pilot to form a figure of eight over Lake Hayes, Morven Hill towards Coronet Peak and back towards the airport again.
He had not reported his concern over the contingency plan for Queenstown because he had "diminished confidence" after previous reports by him were rejected by his company.
The "compromise" of the pattern was one of the reasons he and the pilot took up an alternative contingency plan.
It has since been criticised by the prosecution.
"Pilots make up contingencies all the time, based on the weather at the time," he said.
Mr Rush had flown into Queenstown only twice previously, and had admitted this required no training on "Queenstown's geographical issues".
He had pulled out of Queenstown night operations because they were "way too much work, too much stress" and he was "ill-trained for it".
The co-pilot distrusted an anemometer reading of wind at 19 knots from the control tower.
He and the pilot used their judgement from a nearby windsock, instead.
"I find them easy [to read] and he's a way better aviator than I am.
"I have every confidence in his ability".
Like his captain, he chose to dismiss a reported cloud altitude of 1500ft from the control tower - a figure well under the required 3600ft set heading height.
He reasoned that the reports from the control tower were just "estimates" and were of no scientific calculation.
Mr Rush said the front they had flown through in order to land in Queenstown was not extensive and he "emphatically" rejected any suggestion the plane had flown through cloud at any time during the departure.
He admitted the discussion which he and the pilot had over an emergency contingency plan lasted a little over one minute and no specific altitude levels were mentioned.
Three other defence witnesses appeared yesterday.
They were passenger Michael Mead, of Cromwell, and contract engineers Brett Glass and Robert Wales.
The two engineers indicated better light conditions than the prosecution had shown as evidence of a higher cloud base than the control tower's report of 1500ft.
