A small plane carrying two people was caught on camera crash-landing in front of dozens of beachgoers on a California beach Thursday afternoon.
The plane made an upside-down landing on Santa Monica beach just after 3.15 pm and both people on board were hospitalized, officials said.
took video Santa Monica’s Ocean Front Walk features aircraft flying over the famous pier while plummeting in height over sunbathers dipping their toes in the water.
The video shows the aircraft force-landing in shallow water and its tail flipping over the nose before immediately landing on its back.
A spokesman for the Santa Monica Fire Department said the plane was lying on its back when rescuers arrived.
Officials said two people on board the plane were trapped inside and were pulled from the wreckage. He was taken to a regional hospital, although his condition is not known at this time.
The plane crashed near the basketball and tennis courts of Venice Beach on the 1800 block of the beach. Los Angeles County Lifeguards. The site is approximately 3 miles from the Santa Monica Airport and is located within the takeoff corridor.
NBC News reported that the pilot planned to fly 18 miles to Malibu but began to experience engine trouble. He attempted to return to the airport, but was forced to make an emergency landing on the sand.
The cause of the accident is still under investigation and will be handled by the National Transportation Safety Board.