Emergency services were put on full alert this afternoon after a helicopter on a tourist flight made a mayday call from the summit of Mount Tarawera in the Bay of Plenty.

The Robinson R44, belonging to Rotorua-based Volcanic Flights, had three passengers and a pilot on board when the tail rotor struck a rock while the helicopter was close to the ground.

An R44 helicopter similar to the one which issued a mayday call this afternoon. Photo: Supplied.

The aircraft landed safely and no one was injured.

The pilot made the mayday call shortly after 2pm to report the incident, which resulted in emergency services being alerted before they were stood down by the Wellington-based Rescue Co-Ordination centre.

SunLive understands the passengers are being ferried back to Rotorua airport in another helicopter.

The R44 remains on the mountain and will undergo a full inspection before a decision is made about retrieving it.