Pacific Blue

A four-week hearing on a Pacific Blue pilot's actions when he flew out of Queenstown Airport in 2010 resumes on Monday in the Queenstown District Court. Queenstown reporter Olivia Caldwell summarises the case so far.

The defence for a Pacific Blue pilot charged with the careless use of a Boeing 737 denies the pilot devised his own emergency contingency plan for leaving Queenstown Airport two years ago, as the case was adjourned yesterday.

An experienced Air New Zealand pilot yesterday described the actions of a Pacific Blue pilot charged with operating a Boeing 737 carelessly when flying out of Queenstown Airport two years ago, as "typical industry practice".

The Pacific Blue pilot charged with carelessly operating a Boeing 737 two years ago told the Queenstown District Court yesterday he disagreed with weather information supplied to him by Queenstown air traffic controllers, but denied taking a "he knew best" attitude.

A Pacific Blue pilot charged with operating a Boeing 737 carelessly two years ago had extensive experience in icy, clouded and night conditions, he told the Queenstown District Court yesterday.

Civil Aviation Authority general airline manager Captain Mark Hughes has described as flawed the decision-making of a Pacific Blue airline pilot who flew out of Queenstown Airport in marginal weather conditions two years ago.

An automatic warning, "Don't sink, don't sink", sounded in the cockpit as Pacific Blue Flight 89 took off from Queenstown Airport on June 22, 2010, the Queenstown District Court heard yesterday.

A disagreement between three expert witnesses on whether anti-icing procedures should have been carried out dominated court proceedings yesterday in Queenstown in the prosecution of a pilot charged with operating his Pacific Blue Boeing 737 jet carelessly.

Thirty seconds after Pacific Blue flight 89 took off from Queenstown, a Fire Rescue Service member called the control tower, remarking "how big are his gonads?"

After a wait of about 40 minutes, passengers on Pacific Blue flight 89 from Queenstown to Sydney in June 2010 were told moments before take-off, in an in-flight announcement, words akin to "We're going to give it a go", the Queenstown District Court was told yesterday.

The Civil Aviation Authority has laid charges of "unnecessary endangerment" following a Pacific Blue flight from Queenstown to Sydney last year.

An Australian consumer watchdog is expected to release its decision on the proposed alliance between Air New Zealand and Pacific Blue by the end of the year.

Pacific Blue says the pilots of a plane that may have breached flight rules when taking off from Queenstown airport have been stood down.

Dunedin International Airport has been given a boost by the confirmation Pacific Blue will add another direct flight to Brisbane later this year.