The 21-year-old student gets a pat on the back after the successful landing Image: Ten

A student with only 120 hours flying time made a dramatic landing at Mangalore Airport, north of Melbourne, on Monday, after losing one of the aircrafts three wheels mid flight.

The 21-year-old man contacted his instructor after noticing a problem with his wheels and was told to fly over the airport for a visual inspection, where it was revealed that one of the wheels was missing, The Daily Mail reported.

The student was then forced to circle the airport for five hours to burn off fuel, so as to decrease the chance of the aircraft catching fire in the event of a crash.

When the man finally touched down, his plane turned 180 degrees before successfully stopping.

Fire fighters sprayed the aircraft with foam, whilst the student was still inside, to ensure a fire did not erupt.

The student was then finally escorted from the plane by emergency services, with a Senior Sergeant commenting on his “excellent landing.”