Air New Zealand pilots flying a route from New Plymouth today spotted a crack in their aircraft’s windscreen. They landed safely but with Auckland Airport emergency services on alert as a precaution. 

Nathan McGraw, Air New Zealand’s chief operational safety and risk officer, told the Herald that pilots operating NZ5036 from New Plymouth to Auckland this morning noticed a crack in the windscreen of the ATR-72 they were flying while mid-air. 

“The pilots followed standard operating procedure and reduced altitude as a precaution,” McGraw said. 

“The aircraft landed in Auckland without incident.” 

An Auckland Airport spokesperson said Airport Emergency Services were called out about 10.15am – 20 minutes before the plane was scheduled to land – after the aircraft issue was communicated to ground staff. 

Air New Zealand flight NZ5036 from New Plymouth to Auckland landed safely after a crack was seen in the aircraft's windscreen. Photo / FlightRadar24 

“The aircraft has now landed safely and there are no impacts to other departing or arriving flights,” the airport said. 

Police confirmed they were alerted to the incident but weren’t needed to respond. 

Despite the safety scare, McGraw noted aircraft windscreens were composed of several separate glass panes, a design which is meant to minimise the risk that a crack poses to the windscreen’s integrity.