HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (KABC) — A small plane crashed into the waters near the sands of Huntington Beach Friday afternoon as horrified beachgoers looked on, prompting a rescue effort for the pilot.
The flag plane was seen flying low, parallel to the beach, before crashing at around 1.30pm.
Several people, including some surfers, rushed to the wreckage as it floated a stone’s throw from shore.
Video from a bystander later showed California State Parks Lifeguards and Huntington Beach Fire Paramedics treating the rescued pilot, a man who was not seriously injured.
The pilot was sitting upright in the back door of a pickup truck while being collared. The Huntington Beach Fire Department says the pilot was not seriously injured and was taken to a hospital as a precaution.
“All of a sudden we heard a bang,” said witness Corinne Baginski, whose 17-year-old daughter was on the beach for a lifeguard competition at the time. “The children saw this and suddenly turned and ran towards her.”
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Video posted online showed the plane, a single-engine Piper Cub, towing a banner as it descended toward the water. Footage captured the moment the plane crashed into the water.
The plane went into the ocean about 100 feet from shore with only the pilot on board, according to Coast Guard Lt. SondraKay Kneen.
The accident occurred during the events of the 2022 California Surf Lifesaving Association Youth Lifeguard Championship.
The cause of the crash was under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration, said Eva Lee Ngai, a spokeswoman for the agency.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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