At a press conference Michael Bathgate, commercial director for British Regional Airlines, said: "On touchdown the left-hand wing touched the runway. There were some sparks. The aircraft came to a stop perfectly safely.

The flight landed safely at Liverpool

"Our main concern is for the safety of the passengers and all are safely on the ground.

"Air accident investigation officers are on their way and we will co-operate fully with them."

Mr Bathgate said the pilot of the Advance Turbo Prop plane would be interviewed to help establish the exact cause of the incident.

"All passengers were fully debriefed by the crew and were kept up to date with what was happening," he added. "All standard procedures were adhered to."

Liverpool Airport declared a full emergency when the plane was diverted there, prompting dozens of ambulances and fire engines to rush to the scene.

Police blocked airport approach roads as a precaution and Merseyside's lifeboats and Mersey Inshore rescue were called, in case the plane overshot the runway and entered the nearby Mersey River.

Liverpool is the designated airport for planes which suffer difficulties while flying in the north-west region.

Sparks flying

The plane was quickly covered in foam when it touched down.

John and Pamela Davies, who live near the airport, watched the plane for more than an hour as it circled above.

Mr Davies, 29, an airport loader, said: "It was absolutely terrifying because at one point it seemed to be directly above our house.

"Just after 9pm the plane started to come down and was leaning to the left. It then landed harshly and there were orange sparks flying behind the wheels."

Inspector Stan Preston, of Merseyside Police, said: "We are just relieved that it is down and everybody is safe."

Passenger Philip Ewing, 44, of Sandbach, Cheshire, said: "The captain was fantastic and the stewardesses were great even though they were panicking inside."

Mr Ewing, who is married with two children, said: "You think about a lot of things in these situations, I thought about my wife and children, but I was convinced we were going to get down."