Plane's Nose Gear Collapses on Landing

"Given what they were dealing with, obviously the pilot did a terrific job bringing the plane down," he said.

The plane was still on the runway hours after the incident, surrounded by emergency vehicles. Oakland airport officials said they expected the main runway to be reopened by 6 a.m. today.

The main runway is 10,000 feet long.

Its closure delayed some incoming and outgoing flights at the airport, which switched to using a 6,212-foot-long runway.

Gregor said a crane is being brought from Phoenix to remove the plane from the runway.

Sharon Cabello, marketing manager for Southwest in Oakland, said only that the nose gear failed but did not give details describing the failure.

The incident is being investigated by both the FAA and Southwest. FAA records show the plane was manufactured in 1991.

Passengers flying out of Oakland International Airport this morning are advised to call their airlines for information about possible delays.

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