May 13 (UPI) -- The pilot of a small plane performed an emergency fuselage landing at a southern Australian airport on Monday after its landing gear failed to descend.
Neither the pilot nor the aircraft's two passengers were injured in the "textbook wheels-up landing" at Newcastle Airport, New South Wales Police Superintendent Wayne Humphrey said in a press conference with the runway behind him.
"Which I was happy to see," he said.
According to the superintendent, the pilot, a 53-year-old Queensland man, knew there was an issue with the landing gear while flying to the airport in Williamtown, which is located about 51 miles north of Sydney along Australia's southeastern coast.
The pilot then decided to fly around the airport to resolve the issue, but when that failed he flew for another 90 minutes or so to burn off fuel before attempting the emergency landing.