Passenger plane with missing wheel makes emergency landing in Florida

A pilot was forced to make a dramatic emergency landing after realising his plane was missing a wheel.

The flight was due to land in Tampa at 6pm local time on Friday. However, a distress call was put in to the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport when the pilot realised the plane had lost its left main gear wheel, reports the Independent.

See also: Jo Wood thrown off overbooked Easyjet flight

See also: BA removes couple from plane after row over flight upgrade

In a bid to reduce the risk of fire upon landing, the pilot circled the Gulf of Mexico to burn off excess fuel before touchdown.

The plane landed at Sarasota at around 6pm and video of the scene was captured on camera by news crews.

Sparks can be seen emerging from the back left, and the plane initially lands straight before careering to the left and finally coming to stop on a patch of grass next to the runway.

All three passengers and the pilot were unharmed in the incident.

The plane's wheel is thought to have fallen off mid-air as the aircraft travelled from Belize to Florida, reports the Standard.