Whoever tried to break into a plane in Paraparaumu overnight may be wandering around with an injury from the blast of the emergency door.
An early morning flight from Paraparaumu to Auckland, and the scheduled return flight, were cancelled today after the emergency exit door was opened, causing the escape chute to open.
About 75 people had their flights disrupted following the incident.
Senior Sergeant Alasdair Macmillan of Kapiti police says the door was designed so it would open from the inside so passengers could get out in an emergency.
"They have got to inflate fast so the force of the inflation device has probably injured this person," he says.
"So we would like to appeal to anyone who has seen someone with new injuries to get in touch with us."
Mr Macmillan says the airport terminal is not too close to a residential area but somebody may still have heard the bang from the door opening.
"A couple of days ago we had calls about some gunshots, which was a rabbit culler taking shots at rabbits on the airfield.
"It was a nice still night so somebody may have heard something."
The break-in caused the scheduled 6.55am Air New Zealand flight to Auckland on the Air Nelson plane to be cancelled, as well as the scheduled return flight to Paraparaumu.
The incident has happened just over a month after Paraparaumu Airport began operating commercial flights on October 25.
Air Nelson general manager Grant Kerr said the airline and Kapiti Coast Airport were investigating as well as police.
The Civil Aviation Authority will monitor the outcome rather than launch its own probe as aircraft security is managed by airlines as part of civil aviation rules.
The CAA says Paraparaumu was a non-security regulated airport, meaning the 2.44 metre fencing and the presence of the Aviation Security Service, found at larger airports, is not required.
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Kapiti Coast Airport will review security after an Air Nelson plane was tampered with on the tarmac, forcing the cancellation of two flights.
Police say the attempt to break in to the plane overnight was likely an "idiotic, expensive prank''.
The attempt caused an emergency landing device on the Air Nelson plane to inflate but the offenders were not able to enter the 50-seat plane, which was parked on an apron off the airstrip.
Kapiti Coast Airport chief executive Steve Bootten said the offenders were "absolutely senseless''.
"All this is doing is adding a huge cost to the aviation infrastructure.''
The airport would review its security procedures, he said.
"Obviously we need to have a rethink and we need to sit down with our partners, Air Nelson, and determine what their requirements are and what we can reasonably do to further enhance the security,'' he told APNZ.
"The reality is a determined vandal is going to cut through fences or get over fences or disable just about anything, really.''
Mr Bootten said the airport's security measures were comparable to any other airport of a similar size in New Zealand.
"That's not to say that we don't need to look at ways that we can reasonably make further enhancements, and we will be most certainly doing that.''
The incident follows other airport break-ins over the last 18 months, including one in which people siphoned off aviation fuel from aero club aircraft.
Four people were arrested over that incident.
Mr Bootten said they were given a light sentence, and greater deterrents were needed.
Senior Sergeant Alasdair Macmillan of Kapiti police said the offenders had tried to force their way in to the Bombadier Q300`s rear emergency exit door between 8pm yesterday and 6am.
That activated a ditching dam - a 30cm long, nitrogen-inflated rubber buffer that keeps water out of the aircraft.
Mr Macmillan said the device frightened off the offenders, "who of course wouldn't be expecting this to inflate - they were just trying to get into the plane''.
Pilots, police and security staff had checked the plane and were confident it had not been otherwise tampered with, Mr Macmillan said.
"There's no rhyme nor reason to it. My supposition is they were just going to see if there was anything they could steal,'' he told APNZ.
"It may have been curiosity _ it's a stupid, idiotic, expensive prank or adventure that these people or person has attempted, and we'd certainly like to find who's responsible.''
Mr Macmillan said the offenders could have entered anywhere around the terminal, which is surrounded by a 2.44m security fence and covered by floodlighting overnight.
Police, Air Nelson and the Kapiti Coast Airport are investigating.
Air Nelson general manager Grant Kerr said the incident had disrupted the travel plans of 75 people.
Two flights - NZ8490 from Kapiti to Auckland, and NZ8491 from Auckland to Kapiti - were cancelled while the aircraft was inspected and cleared for flying.
Flights between Kapiti and Auckland began only in October.
"I'm sure the residents of Kapiti are as disappointed as I am that someone would do this so soon after the launch of this new route,'' Mr Kerr said.
The Civil Aviation Authority said the airport was not security regulated, which meant security services found at larger airports were not required.
Aircraft security was managed by airlines as part of the requirements to hold an operator certificate under the civil aviation rules.'
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