‘Textbook’ crash landing in field

A World War II-era aircraft made a ‘‘textbook’’ crash landing in a paddock short of the O¯ hakea airbase runway yesterday after it suffered engine trouble.

The pilot and passenger both walked away with no injuries. The pair were air force personnel.

The historical Harvard aircraft was forced to make the emergency landing in a farm paddock near the air force base.

O¯ hakea base commander group captain Jackie Ward said the camp received a mayday call from the aircraft at 10.20am.

‘‘It was a textbook landing. I’m really proud of the pilot.’’

The aircraft did a belly landing. The crew got themselves out uninjured.

Ward said she had spoken to their commanding officer, who said they were both in good spirits considering what they had been through.

She said their pilots were fully trained in emergency landings and it was something they practised throughout their career.

‘‘The pilot today applied all those skills and training he has learned over his career,’’ Ward said.

He was an experienced pilot who was also a qualified flying instructor.

Because the aircraft did a wheels-up landing she said, there was damage to the propeller, but the rest of the damage was yet to be determined.

The Civil Aviation Authority will be investigating.

Ward said this was the first emergency landing she had been directly involved in.

‘‘We are extremely grateful it happened the way it did.’’

A Defence Force spokesman said the plane landed just short of the runway.

Initially, six Fire and Emergency New Zealand trucks were sent to the crash but a spokeswoman said they were subsequently stood down.