‘He sounded very calm’: Praise for pilot after ‘textbook’ emergency landing

An emergency command centre erupted into cheers as a pilot performed a “textbook wheels up landing” after losing his landing gear above a NSW airport.

The small passenger plane took off from Newcastle Airport at 8.30am on Monday and was headed towards Port Macquarie when it began circling around its departure point with two passengers and the pilot onboard.

An hour later, police and emergency services were called after the 53-year-old pilot from Queensland reported mechanical issues with the aircraft.

The plane circled the airport for almost four hours, shedding fuel in a bid to reduce the weight of the aircraft before attempting an emergency landing.

The plane approached the runway about 12.15pm and was able to land safely. The pilot and passengers – a 60-year-old man and a 65-year-old woman from the Central Coast – climbed out of the plane and greeted the waiting firefighters as onlookers cheered.

NSW Police Superintendent Wayne Humphrey described it as “a textbook wheels up landing” with no injuries reported.

“I believe they jumped in the car and drove home,” he said of the passengers.

Humphrey said the emergency services command centre erupted into applause as the pilot pulled off the landing.