Plane carrying Regional Development Minister Stephen Dawson forced to make emergency landing in Geraldton

First stop — McDonald’s for a cheeseburger to settle nerves after a mid-air scare that forced his jet to make an emergency landing in the Mid West. Regional Development Minister Stephen Dawson, a staff member and two crew were en route to Carnarvon when the jet’s landing gear failed. The pilot diverted to Geraldton, as emergency services scrambled, and landed safely 40 minutes after the first call for help. “It was a bit scary but they did an amazing job,” Mr Dawson said. “It was only when I had a text from my mother-in law to say she was praying for me that I had any kind of inkling that this was serious and I should probably be a bit more open to what could have taken place. “I read the text, I looked out the window and there were 10 emergency services vehicles and it did kind of sheet it home that there was a risk.” Now stranded in Geraldton, Mr Dawson was more worried about missing meetings in Carnarvon. “I was able to have McDonald’s for lunch just to settle my nerves and get me back on track,” he joked. His order? A cheeseburger and chips. Earlier, worried colleagues revealed details of the mid-air incident during a press conference in Perth, with Corrective Services Minister Paul Papalia expressing relief that no one was injured. “It’s a frightening event,” he said. Police and the Department of Fire and Emergency Services were alerted to the mid-air emergency after 10am on Friday, putting emergency crews on standby at Geraldton Airport. Mr Dawson, who is also Government Leader in the Legislative Council, was full of praise for the pilots at the controls of the Hawker 850XP, which was bought by the government in 2018. He said the landing was smooth, considering. “The pilots were amazing,” he said. “They got down as low as they could and flew as slowly as they could to mitigate any potential risk. “In the end the landing gear did go down but they thought that it wasn’t going down straight. “So they thought it would veer off onto the strip. But they were able to control the plane and it landed safely.” Mr Dawson is hoping to fly back to Perth on Friday night. “If you fall off your horse, it’s important to get back on as quickly as you can,” he said.