There was drama at Norwich International airport when a plane with 32 passengers on board was forced to make an emergency landing after one of its engines failed.

There was drama at Norwich International airport when a plane with 32 passengers on board was forced to make an emergency landing after one of its engines failed.

Emergency services were placed on full crash alert after receiving reports that an aircraft coming into land was in distress.

The scene was witnessed by amateur photographer Mick Finn, who took several snaps of the KLM plane, from about a mile away until it landed safely at about 6.20pm on Wednesday night.

The plane had been diverted to Norwich while en route from London Heathrow to Rotterdam,

Mr Finn said: “As we approached the airport in our car the fire engines started coming by us. We pulled into the park and ride and could see the plane coming down.

“You could plainly see that its starboard engine was out and one of the propellers was not working. We tracked it from about a mile away and until it landed. The pilot did a good job and managed to land well despite the problems.”

Mr Finn, from Birmingham, was at the airport to pick up his brother-in-law, Brian Adcock, who was arriving from Paris. Mr Finn had been staying at Mr Adcock's Great Yarmouth home while he was away.

Mr Adcock, was on the plane behind the KLM flight.

He said: “I was coming back from Disneyland in Paris. Our pilot told us that we could have a 10-minute delay because the plane in front was in a bit of trouble.

“We circled around Norwich a few times but in the end we landed on time, at about 6.30pm. We could see all the fire engines and ambulances on the ground when we landed so we knew something was up.”

A spokesman for the East of England Ambulance Service said all passengers were checked on arrival but none needed treatment. Fire services were also on the scene and spokesman Martin Barsby said: “When we get a call of that magnitude we tend to send the whole kitchen sink. We sent four fire engines, two water carriers, an emergency tender and a chemical unit. But in the end the plane landed safely and we did not need to take any action.”

A spokesman for KLM in Holland said: “The Fokka 50 plane had left Heathrow en route to Rotterdam when it discovered it had a problem with one of the engines.

“It was a regular scheduled flight with 32 passengers on board. The plane had to be diverted to Norwich where it landed safely. After it landed, the passengers were all booked through to Rotterdam on other flights.”

Were you one of the passengers on board? Call The Evening Star news desk on 01473 324788 or email starnews@eveningsta.co.uk