BOSTON--More than 50 people escaped injury yesterday as their Trump Shuttle jet slid into Logan Airport in a spray of sparks after its nose gear malfunctioned, causing the front wheel not to extend properly.

There were no injuries among the 47 passengers and seven crewmembers on the Boeing 727, according to Trump Shuttle officials.

The passengers were told to "be prepared for metal on concrete" before the jet screeched safely to a halt.

"It was like a roller coaster ride like at Coney Island, and I enjoyed that. You prepare yourself for the worst. But it was really just like a rough regular landing," said passenger Glenn Porter of New York.

"The pilot did an outstanding job," Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spokesperson John Mogul said. "The pilot held the nose off the ground, then lowered the nose slowly to the runway."

The pilot, Capt. Robert Smith, downplayed his efforts and said Boeing 727s are "fabulous" aircraft.

"This was all in a day's work as far as I'm concerned," said Smith, 47, a former Navy pilot. Smith flew for Eastern Airlines for 19 years before developer Donald Trump inaugurated the Trump Shuttle service on June 8 after buying the planes and landing rights from Eastern for $365 million.

Trump flew into Boston for the afternoon news conference.

"I think the whole crew is made up of heroes," said the billionaire developer, adding that he did not anticipate any negative customer reaction to the incident.

"I think the public confidence might be greater because of our crew," Trump said.

The plane circled Boston for nearly an hour as it dumped fuel over the ocean. The jet, coming from New York's LaGuardia Airport, made one rough touch-and-go landing at about 10 a.m. in an effort to jar the front wheel loose from its housing.

After circling several more times, the plane landed by dropping its wing wheels deftly to the runway in a gentle, but ungainly, landing, its nose scraping the pavement.

Many passengers said the scariest moments came after the landing, as fire equipment sprayed the plane with foam, and they rushed to slide down emergency chutes.

"The people in the front were screaming and yelling," said James Moriarty of New York. "[The pilot] said be prepared for metal on concrete. So that's what we were preparing for. It wasn't that bad, though. You felt like you were just waiting for the nose to drop."

Trump Shuttle President Bruce Nobles said the jet had been in service since January 1970, adding that age was an unlikely factor in the incident.