Mystery door on Wellington beach just a 'stunt', police say

Police now say a door found on a beach near Wellington's Ōwhiro Bay was a "marketing stunt".

A woman out for a walk on the city's south coast had told RNZ she was surprised to come across what appeared to be part of a door from a plane.

Catherine* took pictures and video, with them showing a cream coloured curved panel with a small broken window wedged under a driftwood log, surrounded by yellow tape.

The police told RNZ on Monday they knew nothing about the object.

RNZ followed up with police on Tuesday to ask if there were any updates and a spokesperson replied they had now found the case.

"A plane door situated on the beach at Owhiro Bay area is found to be a marketing stunt," they said.

"It was placed on the beach on 30 April encompassed in emergency tape and was to remain there for 1-3 days."

Do you know more? Email sammy.carter@rnz.co.nz

Catherine had shared her images and video on social media, as did another person separately, with the posts sparking dozens of comments from people trying to work out what the object was.

"I thought it was very strange, my first thought is it looked like it was from a plane because of the shape of the window," Catherine told RNZ.

The mystery sparked dozens of comments, with some saying its numbered markings seem to indicate it was from a plane.

"(I) haven't heard of anything happening in this area, so when I saw it, I assumed it maybe had washed up from overseas."

RNZ sent pics to Ardome Flying School chief executive and aviation commentator Irene King.

She said the object appeared to be the interior of door from a small plane.

"Our engineers have had a look at it and they think that it's an interior fit out of an aircraft. Of course, the great mystery is - how the heck did it get there?"

The Civil Aviation Authority said no one had contacted it about the item.

But it reviewed the picture sent by RNZ, and based on the numbers printed on a section of the door it appeared part of it was manufactured in September 1982.

It said unfortunately it could not identify it further.

King said that, considering how unmarked the object looked, she did not believe it had been in the sea for a long time.

"Its very clean. Normally, when aircraft parts sit in water for any period of time you get all sorts of barnacle and sea life build up.

"It looks quite pristine, and it looks like somebody's just placed it there."

* RNZ has agreed to not use her full name.

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