A passenger plane has crashed into the sea after missing the runway of a tiny Pacific island - with everyone on-board surviving.
The Boeing 737-800 plane was attempting to land at Chuuk Airport on the remote island of Weno in Micronesia, but ditched in a lagoon.
Images posted online showed dozens of people on boats surrounding the wreckage as they attempted to rescue those on-board the Air Niugini plane.
This image made from video photo provided by John Karl Louie Mallari shows an Air Niugini plane floating in Pacific lagoon near Chuuk Airport in Weno, Federated States of Micronesia | Image: John Karl Louie Mallari/AP/Press Association Images
All 36 passengers and 11 crew members escaped without any serious injuries, officials said.
Jimmy Emilio, general manager of Chuuk Airport, said the plane landed about 150 yards short of the runway and the cause of the crash was unclear.
"We don't really know what happened," he said.
"People were rescued by boats - 36 passengers and 11 crew were all rescued, only the plane is sinking right now."
This photo provided by Blue Flag Construction shows an Air Niugini plane floating in Pacific lagoon after its crash-landing in Pacific lagoon near Chuuk Airport in Weno, Federated States of Micronesia | Image: AP/Press Association Images
Air Niugini is the national airline of Papua New Guinea.
PRESS STATEMENT
Bulletin number 2 issued at 3:00pm, date: 28.09.2018
Air Niugini provides the following update regarding the short landing of its Boeing 737-800 series aircraft at Chuuk... https://t.co/LMi4mA0Lys
— Air Niugini Limited (@PXPNG) September 28, 2018
In a statement, the carrier said: "The incident occurred at 10:10am FSM local time. Air Niugini has been informed that the weather was very poor with heavy rain and reduced visibility at the time of incident.
"The aircraft had 35 passengers and 12 crew members onboard, all of whom were able to safely evacuate the aircraft.
"Air Niugini is now positioning assistance to Chuuk for our passengers and crew. We are also in touch with the embassies, passenger representatives, stakeholders and families of the crew."
The Federated States of Micronesia in the western Pacific Ocean | Image: Google Earth
A spokesman for Papua New Guinea's Accident Investigation Commission said investigators would fly to the scene as soon as possible to piece together what happened.
