Taking a nosedive March 14, 2007

A Japanese plane with 60 people on board made a dramatic emergency landing at an airport in western Japan yesterday.

The front landing gear of the All Nippon Airways plane failed to descend, and it had to make a belly landing, sliding along the runway on its nose until sparks flew.

The plane, which was flying from Osaka, earlier had to circle above Kochi airport on the southern island of Shikoku for nearly two hours when the landing gear failed to descend.

The 56 passengers and four crew members on board were unhurt.