Air Transport

Video footage has emerged of the emergency approach and touchdown performed by a Carpatair Saab 2000 which was forced to land yesterday at Timisoara Airport, Romania, with its nose-gear retracted.

Fire-fighters had laid foam on the runway while the aircraft, which had already performed a missed approach, entered a holding pattern.

"Several attempts to release the nose-gear were made and a low pass over the runway was performed to check the nose landing-gear position," says Carpatair president Nicolae Petrov.

The aircraft, which had been arriving on a flight from the Moldovan capital Chisinau, landed at 09:44 and - despite the nose contact with the runway - remained on the centreline.

Timisoara-based Carpatair says there were no injuries among those on board. It says the aircraft was transporting 47 passengers and a child. The Saab 2000 involved, an 11-year old airframe, suffered only minor damage.

• More images of the Carpatair Saab 2000 landing gear collapse