A pilot who witnessed a small plane make a “hard landing” at Tauranga Airport today says the situation was handled with textbook professionalism.

Emergency services responded to the runway about noon as a precaution for an incoming plane with landing gear issues.

The aircraft landed safely and one passenger suffered minor injuries.

Video of the incident showed the aircraft touch down with all landing gear down, before the front gear collapsed and the nose scraped along the tarmac as the plane came to a stop.

Retired airline pilot Craig Watson told SunLive he was flying an aircraft that landed just before the one in trouble, and heard the incident unfold over the radio.

The single-engine aircraft was a Piper Turbo Saratoga SP carrying a pilot and three passengers.

He said the pilot reported to the air traffic controller tower that the landing gear indication was abnormal.

“This means he suspected that one of his landing gear had not extended properly.”

Screenshot from Flight Radar shows a plane circling over Tauranga.

The pilot did a low fly past the tower, which confirmed the landing gear was not in the down and locked position - he was going to have to land with the nose wheel collapsing.

The plane left for about 20 minutes while emergency services gathered.

“When the guy landed, he did balloon a little bit, but the landing itself was exactly as he should have done - landed on the seal, not the grass,” said Watson.

A grass landing could have caused the nose to dig in and the aircraft to cartwheel.

Once it had come to a grinding halt, the passengers immediately evacuated, and fire trucks were there in seconds, spraying preventative foam.

Watson said he had flown around world and heard a few emergency scenarios unfold much less calmly. He said it was “professional” and “pretty impressive”.

He expected the runway may require some repair.

Fire and Emergency NZ said three crews were called to the airport as a precaution about noon.
A person at the Classic Flyers Aviation Museum & Cafe next to the airport earlier said they had seen fire trucks and ambulances go by, but they didn’t know what was happening.

An employee of Ebbett Prestige, near the airport, said they had seen “one of those giant emergency responder trucks” as well as ambulances, fire engines and a police car.

According to flight tracking website Flightradar24, a small plane had been circling above the airport.