Plane lands on its belly in Romania; no casualties

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
A Romanian plane with 51 people on board made an emergency landing on its belly in western Romania Saturday, officials said. All the passengers escaped safely. Carmen Stoica, spokeswoman for Timisoara International Airport, said the plane circled the airport for almost two hours after its landing gear became stuck. It landed on a bed of foam laid out by firefighters. She said there were 47 passengers and four crew members aboard the Saab 2000. "The plane ... crash-landed on the foam carpet spread by firefighters on the airstrip. All passengers are fine," said Sindia Vlaia, spokeswoman for the Emergency Inspectorate. She said the plane had tried to use up its fuel to avoid a fire when it landed.