SkyWest Flight Lands Without Left Landing Gear

— -- Passengers aboard a SkyWest plane got a terrifying surprise today as they learned that their flight would be landing without its left main landing gear.

"I know all I was doing was thinking about my family, my kids," passenger Jason Spense told ABC News affiliate KABC-TV.

The plane, operating as United Express flight 5316, originated from Monterey, California, and was carrying 43 people on board -- 40 passengers and three crew members, SkyWest said in a statement.

As the plane prepared to land around 8:30 a.m. today, the flight crew reported that it could not get the main left landing gear to come down.

"The airplane actually circled the runways for a little bit and then it did land," Mary Grady, an airport spokeswoman, told KABC-TV.

Passengers told KABC-TV they were told to assume a crash position and brace for impact. Sparks and dust reportedly were visible as the left wing dragged along the runway.

Passengers later were bussed to a terminal, according to Los Angeles International Airport.

There were no reported injuries, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. In a statement, SkyWest said pilots had performed the emergency landing "safely" after the "left main landing gear" had failed to extend.

"Mechanics will inspect the aircraft to determine what may have caused the issue," the airline said.

Passengers commended the pilot for landing the plane smoothly and said there was a round of applause and cheering once the plane landed.

"It was an incredibly smooth landing, I would say it was actually smoother than some of the landings that I've had with all of the landing gear down," passenger Traci Reid said.

ABC News' Alex Stone contributed to this story.