A Flybe pilot who carried out an emergency landing on Friday with no nose gear has been praised for his skills.

Flight BE331 had 56 people onboard when it carried out the emergency landing at Belfast International Airport.

Pictures and video show the Bombardier Q-400 aircraft with its nose unsupported hitting the ground.

The plane, which was due to travel to Inverness, burned fuel in a holding pattern off the coast of Belfast for around two hours after it declared the emergency.

Flybe CEO Christine Ourmieres-Widener, said: "Our crew took the necessary precautionary actions to ensure the aircraft landed as safely as was possible and I am proud of their professionalism in the circumstances.

"Safety is our highest priority and our crew are highly trained and undergo regular training to calmly and professionally handle any such situations.

"We sincerely apologise to the passengers for the disruption to their journey and any distress caused and out Customer Care team will remain in close contact with them over the next few days."

Expand Expand Previous Next Close A Flybe aircraft making an emergency landing at Belfast International Airport. Pic Alan Lewis - PhotopressBelfast.co.uk Photopress Belfast The plane at Belfast International. Pic Geoff Coyles / Facebook

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Whatsapp A Flybe aircraft making an emergency landing at Belfast International Airport. Pic Alan Lewis - PhotopressBelfast.co.uk

Belfast International operations director Alan White said: “It was a very good landing. The flying skills, landing the aircraft, were superb.

“The flight deck crew were superb, they landed on the main undercarriage, they held the nose of the aircraft up to the last possible moment, bleeding off all the air speed and still keeping control and just dropping it at the very last minute.

"That meant it stopped relatively quickly, no issues, no fire with it, and they got it stopped safely on the runway.”

Flybe confirm 52 passengers and Four Crew were on board the aircraft that landed at Belfast International without nose gear @AllyRH pic.twitter.com/tiylUCDrNa — Flight Alerts (@FlightAlerts777) November 10, 2017

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch have sent a team to Belfast to investigate the incident.

The flight which took off at 11.07am landed at Belfast International Airport just before 2pm with the nose gear up and stopping on the runway.

Fire crews were on standby at Belfast International Airport for the emergency landing and said "no action" was required.

Belfast Telegraph