Six people and two dogs are okay after a twin engine turbo plane experiencing trouble with its nose gear made an emergency landing at Richard B. Russell Airport, Sunday at around 12:30pm.

According to Battalion Chief Gene Proctor of the Rome/Floyd Fire Department, emergency officials received a call that plane was in distress and could not get its nose gear down. The plane was not scheduled to land at Richard B. Russell.

The pilot was told to circle the airport a few times to get rid of most of the fuel to minimize any fire from the landing. The pilot managed to get his wheels down and both propellers made contact with the asphalt and shrapnel started flying.  Some of the shrapnel did make contact with the fuselage but none of it made it back into the fuel tank.

Firefighters evacuated the six passengers and the dogs.

The passengers and pilot were reportedly from Iowa.

(WRGA/www.wrgarome.com/Coosa Valley News/www.coosavalleynews.com)