Three Gorges Airport at Yichang city in central China's Hubei province, which was closed Wednesday evening after a small aircraft experienced a landing mishap, reopened at 9:30 p.m. on Thursday.

The airport runway was cleared after the plane was towed away at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, airport officials said.

The accident did no harm to the runway and flight safety could be guaranteed at the airport, the officials noted.

At 10:30 p.m., a passenger flight from the south China metropolis of Guangzhou landed at the airport, and from Friday allflights to and from the airport would be gradually resumed, they added.

At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, an MA60 Wuhan Airlines plane developed technical problems with its landing gear during a training flight,and was damaged when it was forced to touch down on its belly.

There were no passengers and all the five crew members were safe, but the plane jammed the runway and forced the airport closure at 9:10 p.m.

( People's Daily August 9, 2002)