The Air Accident Investigation Branch is investigating an incident involving a light aircraft which resulted in the main runway at Ronaldsway being closed for several hours.

No injuries were reported following Friday afternoon’s incident.

Airport director Gary Cobb confirmed that the aircraft had encountered undercarriage failure but the pilot had managed to land safely on the grass.

The pilot is island-based.

Video footage has emerged of the aircraft coming into land and touching down on the grass at the side of runway 26.

It is understood that the pilot was checked over by ambulance personnel but he didn’t need to go to hospital.

A spokesperson for the UK Air Accident Investigation Branch confirmed: ‘We have been notified and we are investigating.’

Mr Cobb said the aircraft had landed close enough to the runway to render it inoperable.

Late afternoon and early evening flights were disrupted following the closure of the main runway at around 4pm after what Ronaldsway described as an ‘incident involving a small general aviation aircraft’.

Incoming easyJet flights from Bristol and Belfast were diverted while departing flights to the same destinations plus Manchester and London City were also delayed.

The short runway was then also temporarily closed to deploy the lifting equipment to recover the aircraft.

This operation was completed around 8pm and both runways were reopened.

‘We can confirm that no injuries were reported as a result of this incident,’ an airport spokesperson said.