A flight from Auckland to Queenstown had to turn back after it was hit by lightning shortly after take-off tonight.
In a post to social media, Southland MP Joseph Mooney, who was on the flight, said there was "quite a bang, both audibly and visually" after lightning struck the Air New Zealand plane.
It returned to Auckland and, according to the Queenstown Airport website, the flight was eventually cancelled.
Mooney praised the "great calm response by pilot and crew".
