Emergency services were called to Invercargill Airport yesterday after concerns about the hydraulics of an incoming plane.
Appliances from Invercargill were called to the airport just before 11am and other stations were put on alert with police placed on standby after reports of a hydraulic issue with a flight en route from Wellington.
Fire Service southern communications shift manager Rewai Grace said firefighters were told of a ''problem'' with the incoming plane.
However,the plane landed safely and without incident.
''Thankfully no action was required by the Fire Service,'' he said.
An Air New Zealand spokeswoman said the de Havilland Dash 8-300 from Wellington to Invercargill landed safely and without incident at 11.15am.
A hydraulic indication light illuminated on the flight-deck and prompted the call to emergency services, but it was only a precaution, she said.
Brent and Maryann Scully were on board the flight, returning to their home at Centre Bush, near Winton, with their sons Matthew (12) and Cameron (9).
Mr Scully said shortly before landing the female pilot told the passengers there was a problem with the hydraulics in the primary brakes and she would be landing using the back-up braking system.
The landing would be faster than usual and fire appliances would be on standby in case the landing was smoky or flames appeared.
The landing was unremarkable, the Scullys said.
''It felt like quite normal,'' Mrs Scully said.
''If we hadn't been told there was a problem and seen the fire engines we wouldn't have known there was anything wrong,'' Mr Scully said.
In the air, some of the passengers ''were freaking out'', Matthew said.
But Mrs Scully said the pilot ''gave us complete confidence''.
''They seemed to know what they were doing, and they communicated what was going on.''
As passengers disembarked they were given a form letter signed by Air New Zealand chief operations office Bruce Parton apologising for the difficulties on the flight and any distress or concern it might have caused and it offered support to any passengers needing it.
The plane was grounded and its scheduled departure a short time later cancelled, leaving dozens of passengers scrambling to book other flights.
Senior Sergeant Craig Brown, from the Southern district command centre, said police were put on standby but the Fire Service took the lead in the matter.
