A light aircraft carrying three passengers has fallen almost vertically to earth from 4000 feet above the Blue Mountains, landing in the front yard of a property, after a quick-thinking pilot deployed a parachute during an emergency.

The pilot crash-landed the plane, described by witnesses as a “Cessna-type” aircraft, in the front yard of a house in Lawson on Saturday, saving everyone on board in what a rescue official has called a “miraculous” escape.

Footage of the incident taken on a mobile phone and uploaded to YouTube showed the light plane dropping quickly from cloudy skies under a giant red and white parachute.

As the plane passes the tree line, it can be heard crashing into the ground.

The plane had been descending silently before it landed and brought down power lines.

Neither the pilot nor his three male passengers were seriously injured and there were no fires or explosions, although one of the men aboard was taken to Nepean Hospital after complaining of neck and back pain.

“It was miraculous,” Fire and Rescue NSW Superintendent Steven Baker told AAP.

Police are investigating the crash.

“Officers have been told the pilot was forced to deploy the aircraft’s parachute at 4000 feet following an emergency incident,” police said.

“Police are continuing their inquiries to establish the exact circumstances surrounding the incident.”