IT TOOK 10 seconds from the moment the 10-seater King Air flight appeared out of the grey sky to when it ground to a halt on the Williamtown runway.
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It's fair to say each second probably felt like a lifetime to those on board.
Emergency service crews, airport workers and members of the public collectively held their breath as the light plane appeared to levitate momentarily before crunching into the wet tarmac.
It was followed by the sound of the twin propellers and underbelly disintegrating as the plane slid for several hundred metres.
The plane had barely stopped when a fire engine began circling.
Other emergency vehicles quickly followed, but the two Central Coast passengers on board and the 53-year-old pilot managed to escape unharmed.
The Eastern Air Service flight had taken off from Newcastle on Monday morning bound for Port Macquarie, but it was quickly discovered that the landing gear had failed.
The plane's wheels were stuck up and it would be forced to land on its belly.
It circled overhead for nearly two hours and travelled north towards Hawks Nest as it burned through its fuel load to minimise the risk of fire when it touched down.
The plane's strange flight pattern caught the attention of those underneath its path.
News of the in-air drama unfolding made national headlines and captivated the Hunter.
More than 20,000 people were tracking the flight online in its final moments before it hit the runway.
A crowd of people had also gathered near Newcastle Airport.
Medowie resident Scott Campbell is no stranger to hearing plane action from the Williamtown Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base, but rushed to watch the emergency landing as "it's not something you see everyday".
He said people in the crowd had their "fingers crossed" as the plane descended through the clouds.
"Everyone was sort of there and freaking out about what was going on," he told the Newcastle Herald.
"It came in really smooth and really slow, and landed with no issue.
"When it hit the runway, you heard the scraping of metal ... it was just like a metal-on-metal sort of scraping or loud grinding sound."
He said the entire ordeal unfolded in about 10 seconds, just before 12.20pm.
"As it came to a standstill, [onlookers] were all over the moon, overjoyed, clapping and cheering," Mr Campbell said.
"It was really good piloting."
Williamtown resident Rachael Maguire was at the nearby local community centre when she learned of the emergency via social media.
With her umbrella in hand she dashed across to the end of the runway on Medowie Road to join several dozen other locals watching with bated breath as the plane approached.
Her video captured the aircraft gliding towards the airport from the coast at a low altitude and completing a textbook wheels-up emergency landing.
"Great job. That's what you call a pilot with nerves of steel," Ms Maguire said.
"There will be nothing left of the underside of the plane."
Matthew Kelly
Matthew Kelly has worked as a journalist for more than 25 years. He has been working as a general reporter at the Newcastle Herald since 2018. In recent years he has reported on subjects including environment, energy, water security, manufacturing and higher education. He has previously covered issues including the health and environmental impacts of uncovered coal wagons in the Hunter Valley, the pollution of legacy of former industrial sites and freedom of information issues.
Matthew Kelly has worked as a journalist for more than 25 years. He has been working as a general reporter at the Newcastle Herald since 2018. In recent years he has reported on subjects including environment, energy, water security, manufacturing and higher education. He has previously covered issues including the health and environmental impacts of uncovered coal wagons in the Hunter Valley, the pollution of legacy of former industrial sites and freedom of information issues.
Police and crime reporter at the Newcastle Herald. Email: afalkenmire@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Police and crime reporter at the Newcastle Herald. Email: afalkenmire@austcommunitymedia.com.au
