A quick-thinking pilot turned Huntington State Beach into an emergency runway on Monday afternoon, safely landing a small single-engine Piper on the sand after reporting engine trouble. The aircraft came down just south of Magnolia Street at about 2 p.m., briefly stunning beachgoers and lifeguards, but no injuries were reported.
Pilot Mike Bremner said the plane began having problems shortly after departing John Wayne Airport, and that he quickly chose the wide stretch of sand as his best option. Bremner told NBC4 the two-seat Piper PA-28, which he said was headed to a meeting in Van Nuys, experienced an engine issue at roughly 1,000 feet. He said they ran a rapid checklist before bringing the plane down on the beach.
Official accounts differ on how many people were on board. The FAA told ABC7 there were two people in the aircraft, while Huntington Beach police told reporters the pilot was the only person aboard. The FAA confirmed the airplane as a Piper PA-28 and said the pilot reported an engine problem shortly after takeoff.
Huntington Beach firefighters placed the landing near the 22000 block of Pacific Coast Highway and said emergency crews checked the scene. CBS Los Angeles reported the aircraft touched down safely and that no injuries were reported.
Pilot's Quick Thinking And The Nonprofit Behind The Plane
The aircraft is registered to Elder Abuse Air Force, a small nonprofit based at John Wayne Airport that says it uses aviation-themed promotions to raise awareness about elder abuse and support related charities. The group lists John Wayne as its base and describes campaigns that pair flights with fundraising and outreach, according to Elder Abuse Air Force.
Why The Beach Was An Option
Wide stretches of sand and relatively flat approaches make state beaches one of the few viable options when a single-engine plane has trouble over the coast. Huntington State Beach covers roughly 121 acres and offers open sand and lifeguard towers, according to California State Parks, which can create a makeshift landing corridor for pilots who have enough altitude to weigh their options.
The same patch of coast has seen emergency landings before, a reminder that some pilots choose sand over a risky attempt to return to an airport. A Los Angeles Times archive account from 1989 documented an earlier emergency beach landing at Huntington that also ended without injuries.
The Federal Aviation Administration and local authorities said they are investigating Monday's landing, and the NTSB will take the lead if the incident meets its criteria. CBS Los Angeles noted the investigation was ongoing as officials worked to determine what went wrong.
