THE moment a hero pilot landed a small plane in southern California with no landing gear was caught on camera.

    The private jet’s landing gear failed to open as the plane approached Palm Springs International Airport around 3:20 p.m. Friday, officials said.

    Given the potentially deadly situation, the pilot of the private jet was forced to make a belly-landing at the small airport.

    Video footage of the landing obtained by NBC first shows the plane descending as it approaches the runway.

    There does not appear to be any landing gear deployed on the jet in the video.

    As the plane hits the ground, it appears to smoothly glide across the pavement until it comes to a stop near the end of the runway.

    Riverside County firefighters and officers with the Palm Springs Police Department were on hand at the airport to manage the potentially dangerous aftermath of the emergency landing.

    The video then shows a firetruck spraying the bottom of the plane to prevent a fire from igniting. Only the pilot and one other person were aboard the jet and no injuries were suffered.

    The long runway at the airport was closed for a little over 45 minutes, but only a few planes were delayed, said Tom Nolan, an official with the Palm Springs International Airport. (SD-Agencies)