A CAIRNS pilot is being hailed a hero after she safely crash-landed a smoke-filled plane on one wheel at a remote Cape York airstrip.

Cairns Aboriginal leader Terry O’Shane and Department of Employment and Industrial Relations director-general Peter Henneken were among nine people who emerged unscathed when the plane skidded off the runway at Laura, 140km west of Cooktown, at 3.30pm yesterday.

Relieved passengers, who despite their ordeal got on a replacement plane just two hours later for the return journey to Cairns, praised pilot Dale Paine for averting a "disaster" during the dramatic landing.

"She was so professional. She deserves three cheers," passenger Geoff Kenney told The Cairns Post last night.

"I thought if we can come through this it’ll be a good story for the grandkids."

Mr O’Shane said he feared for the worst when the cabin filled with smoke from burning hydraulic fluid.

"When I saw smoke I thought it might be a bit hairy," he said.

"But the pilot gave us a lot of confidence. She didn’t panic and there wasn’t any stress, she was just magic."

The Government and indigenous officials were in Laura for an economic development meeting and were about 15 minutes into the journey to Cairns when Ms Paine warned passengers she would have to turn back.

"The pilot said the undercarriage had locked up and said we would have to go back and do an emergency landing," he said.

"When we hit, we skidded around the tarmac and ended up in a bit of a ditch."

Cape York Land Council chief executive officer Peter Callaghan said Ms Paine was unaware until she landed that she had only one wheel down.

"That’s why when we dropped down the plane skewed around," Mr Callaghan said.

Laura General Store owner Harold Tavner was among a group of locals who rushed to the airstrip.

"I heard a hell of a noise and went charging up there," Mr Tavner, also a pilot, said.

"They skidded and went off the runway."

He said the plane was badly damaged.

Mr Tavner praised Ms Paine for showing composure under such circumstances.

"She kept her nerve," he said.

"She did a great job."

The damaged aircraft, owned by Cairns charter company Barrier Aviation, remained at Laura last night.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is investigating the incident.

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