Hero pilot lands plane with no front wheels in Peru sending sparks and flames flying into air

A hero pilot was filmed making an emergency landing without a plane's front wheels - sending sparks flying as the aircraft smashed onto the runway.

The unnamed pilot has been praised for how he handled the situation after all passengers on board escaped without injury thanks to his reactions.

Around 60 people were travelling on the plane when it was announced they would be making an emergency landing in Peru.

After the aircraft's front wheels failed to deploy, the pilot had to perform a 'hard landing', also known as a 'belly landing'.

Because there were no wheels to cushion the impact of the plane landing on the runway, the nose of the aircraft smashed onto the ground.

Dramatic footage has emerged showing the moment the nose was dragged along the runway, sending huge sparks flying everywhere.

A spokesman from the airline, LC Peru, said: "We appreciate the excellent maneuver of our pilot who managed to control the situation in an admirable way."

The company also said it will be conducting an investigation to determine what caused the failure in the plane and said they will issue a statement.

The Bombardier Dash 8 Q-402 aircraft made the emergency landing at the Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima, Peru, on Sunday.

It was confirmed the 64 people on board - including the five crew members - were unharmed.

According to a statement from the airline, flight 1323 was travelling to the city of Ayacucho, also in Peru, but after detecting the problem the pilot returned to the capital of the country.

After several minutes of waiting in the air while clearing a track, he managed to land.

"An LC Peru aircraft made an emergency landing at the airport," said a statement from LAP that operates the international air terminal in Lima.

"We confirm that all passengers were evacuated and are safe,"

The airport was closed for several hours after the incident. Several flights were also diverted as a result.

The plane was later towed away. It has not been revealed if the aircraft was substantially damaged.