Video of heroic pilot making an emergency landing at Parafield Airport after malfunction

See the dramatic moment a plane makes an emergency landing nose first at Parafield Airport, sending sparks flying.

A light plane has crashed into the tarmac at Parafield Airport, screeching to a halt after its front wheel failed to come down.

The twin-engine plane’s pilot staged a successful emergency landing at the airport just before 1.30am on Wednesday, landing on the aircraft’s two back wheels.

The nose of the Beechcraft plane, which left Waikerie Airport at about 11.30, came down as the plane slowed and hit the tarmac, skidding across the runway – with sparks flying – for some distance.

Luckily, the pilot and passenger did not suffer any injuries.

Emergency services were first alerted to a request for an emergency landing just after midnight, when the plane’s pilot reported a fault with the nose wheel.

The pilot could not confirm whether the wheel had been locked down and several low fly-bys confirmed the wheel had failed to come down.

A light plane had to make an emergency landing at Parafield Airport at 1.30am after its front wheel failed to come down. Photo: Braeden Gatt

Police, the MFS, ambulance officers and airport safety officers were called to the scene to prepare for the landing.

The plane will be examined for mechanical problems and a report will be prepared for the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.

It is not the first emergency landing of its type at Parafield in recent years.

In 2016, a plane made a crash landing after its front wheel only partially descended before landing.

In 2018, another plane crashed nose first into a paddock near Parafield Airport after clipping power lines.

A light plane had to make an emergency landing at Parafield Airport at 1.30am after its front wheel failed to come down. Photo: Braeden Gatt

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