Leonardo DiCaprio was one of the passengers aboard a flight forced to make an emergency landing in New York on Sunday.

The Hollywood actor was travelling to Moscow to take part in an international conservation conference, when the Delta Air Lines Boeing 767 was forced to make an emergency landing at JFK International Airport.

The 36-year-old was unharmed.

Leonardo was impressed with the actions of the staff on board, with his representative telling US Magazine the star “wishes to commend the actions of the pilot and flight crew in bringing the plane to a safe landing”.

The pilot for the Delta Air Lines Boeing 767 “decided to return to JFK due to a left engine problem”, a Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman said following the incident.

Conservation Work

The movie star was on his way to attend Tiger Summit to discuss ways to prevent the extinction of tigers.

The event is being held in the Russian city of St Petersburg and is headed by Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin.

Despite the turmoil he experienced on board, Leonardo was said to have still been in good spirits upon landing in New York, and was happy to offer his signature to fans.

“Leo signed autographs for all the crew members when they landed,” explained a source.

Once in Russia, DiCaprio – famous for his work in Titanic, The Departed and Shutter Island - is expected to present a $1 million gift to the World Wildlife Fund to help protect tigers, on behalf of the California Community Foundation’s Leonardo DiCaprio Fund.