SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y. – A small plane had to make an emergency landing on a Long Island beach on Wednesday. The pilot and his passenger walked away uninjured despite the aircraft taking a nosedive into the sand. It is the second time the plane has come down under emergency conditions in eight years, according to reports.
A witness posted video to Instagram that shows the plane — a single-engine Cessna 152 — gliding over the narrow strip of shoreline at Cedar Beach in Mt. Sinai, about 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, just as the sun was setting in the background, ABC 7 NY reported.
The plane came down safely on the beach and continued on for a short distance before taking a nosedive into the sand, exposing its underbelly.
The plane came to rest with its nose in the sand. (Instagram / @victoria.calcano)
Despite the trepid situation, both the pilot, 60, and his passenger, 59, walked away uninjured, according to ABC 7.
Prior to setting the plane down under emergency conditions on the Suffolk County beach, the pilot had reported engine failure.
The pilot and his passenger walked away uninjured after the emergency landing. (Facebook/George Stade)
Two people embrace at the scene of the controlled crash landing on Wednesday. (Facebook/George Stade)
It is the second time the Cessna was forced to come down on a local beach in eight years, according to incident reports for the single-engine aircraft, the New York Post reported.
In 2016, Pilot Robert Keletii was instructing a first-time student to fly at 3,000 feet over the North Shore when the aircraft’s engine failed.
Fortunately, they made a “forced landing” at Sunken Meadow State Park, roughly 15 miles from Cedar Beach. Just like Wednesday, both individuals walked away uninjured.
“I decided to land on the beach, save my life, that’s it,” Keletii told CBS2 at the time.
It’s unclear who was piloting the plane on Wednesday.
The FAA is investigating the incident.
