Small plane crash lands, flips upside down on Santa Monica shore

A small airplane carrying two people was caught on camera crash-landing in front of dozens of beachgoers on a California beach Thursday afternoon.

The plane landed upside down on Santa Monica Beach just after 3:15 p.m. and both people aboard were hospitalized, authorities said.

Video taken at Santa Monica’s Ocean Front Walk shows the plane fly past the famous pier while quickly dropping altitude above sunbathers dipping their feet in the water.

The plane forcefully lands in the shallow waters and its tail bounces over the nose before coming to an immediate landing on its back, the video shows.

When rescuers arrived, the plane was found lying on its back, a Santa Monica fire department spokesperson said.

The two people aboard the plane were trapped inside and extricated from the wreckage, authorities said. They were taken to an area hospital, though their condition is not known at this time.

The plane crash-landed near Venice Beach’s basketball and tennis courts on the 1800 block of the beach, according to Los Angeles County lifeguards. The site is about 3 miles from Santa Monica Airport and located within the takeoff corridor.

NBC News reported that the pilot planned to fly the 18 miles to Malibu but began experiencing engine trouble. They attempted to return to the airport, but were forced to make an emergency landing on the sand.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation and will be handled by the National Transportation Safety Board.