A pilot survived with minor injuries after crashing a small plane into the ocean on Florida’s coast.
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Florida — A pilot escaped safely after their small plane crashed into the ocean off the coast of Florida on Thursday.
The pilot was the only person on board and had non life-threatening injuries, according to the Volusia Sheriff’s Office. The pilot was taken to the hospital, but CBS News reported the injuries as minor.
Federal and local officials are investigating after getting calls about the plane crash. It happened around 10:51 a.m. in the water of New Smyrna Beach, south of Daytona Beach.
“I heard the plane, so I looked up. Next thing you know, I heard a loud pop, like a backfire,” witness David Young told Fox35.
A video of the crash, recorded by Young, showed the small plane descending over the ocean until it hit the water. It then flipped over in the waves. Once the pilot was out of the plane, it remained upside down on the sand.
“I’m thinking, ‘man, he’s awful low.’ And it looked like he was trying to land on the beach,” Robinson said.
Other witnesses said they rushed to the plane to help whoever was in it, but by the time they were in the water, the pilot had already freed themselves.
“I’m just glad he’s OK. At the end of the day, that’s all that matters,” Young added. “Nobody got hurt on the beach. Airplanes can be replaced.”
The sheriff’s office notified the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board about the crash. An investigation into what caused the crash is still ongoing.
The United States Coast Guard also responded to help clean up debris and pollutants from the crash.
No other details were immediately available Saturday.
