Plane makes emergency landing at St. Louis airport

Updated 2:47 p.m. ET

A small aircraft with landing gear problems made an emergency landing at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport Monday afternoon after being diverted from an airport in nearby southern Illinois. The FAA confirms the plane has touched down. It is unclear if there were any injuries to the eight passengers on board.

Jeff Lea, a spokesman with the St. Louis airport, confirmed Monday afternoon that the flight has been diverted.

The Federal Aviation Administration says eight people are aboard the Learjet 45, which is inbound from Wooster, Ohio. The FAA says the pilot reported trouble with the aircraft's front landing gear.

On a flyby, officials said it appeared the nose gear was sideways, preventing a proper landing, reports CBS affiliate KMOV in St. Louis.

Authorities initially expected the plane to land at St. Louis Downtown Airport in Cahokia, 5 miles south of St. Louis.