A biplane nosedived into a Napier runway after being caught on a gust of wind.

Emergency services were called to a plane crash at Hawke's Bay Airport on midday Sunday. 

Two people were in the blue and yellow biplane, a Boeing Stearman, at the time and suffered minor injuries.

Mike Gannaway witnessed the crash, and said the pilot seemed to have it under control until a gust of wind picked up.

"He tried to correct it and couldn't," Gannaway said.

"Everyone couldn't believe it ... it was so surprising."

Gannaway said there were about a hundred people who saw the incident as it was part of the Art Deco Festival in Napier. 

He was unsure if the passenger paid for the plane ride. 

Three fire trucks were sent to the scene and paramedics were called to help the people on board but they were not taken to hospital. 

Boeing Stearman were formerly used a military trainer aircraft and were built around the 1930s.

The biplane was used a training aircraft for the United States Army Air Forces, the United States Navy and the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II.

They were later sold to the public and are now used in air shows and as crop dusters.