A Romanian passenger plane made an emergency landing in western Romania Saturday and all the passengers escaped unharmed.

The SAAB 2000, carrying 47 passengers and four crew members, took off from the Moldovan capital city Chisinau for Timisoara, local TV station Realitatea said.

The plane, belonging to the Romanian company Carpatair, circled Timisoara International Airport for about two hours after the landing gear got stuck, in order to use up its fuel to prevent a potential fire.

The plane landed using only the main landing gear on the bed of foam spread by fire fighters.

About 20 ambulances and fire engines were waiting for the plane on the ground and the airport was closed temporarily after the incident.

Carpatair President Nicolae Petrov said the passengers were stressed, but none was in shock.

The Romanian Transportion Ministry has started an investigation into the accident.

Airline officials said the problem was likely at the plane's undercarriage, but the plane has not suffered any major damage.

Carpatair, established in 1999 and based in Timisoara, operates services to more than 30 destinations in Europe.

Source: Xinhua