A golfer practising his putting experienced a terrifying moment when a plane crash-landed and narrowly missed him. Surveillance cameras captured the dramatic scene as the small plane made a belly landing in front of the golfer, who stepped back in shock, and skidded to a stop on concrete, the Metro reported.
Another CCTV clip from a different angle showed the aircraft sliding through grass and concrete, seemingly avoiding vehicles in a parking lot and other structures.
The golfer's identity remains unknown, but others at the Haggin Oaks Golf Complex in Sacramento, California, were also taken by surprise.
This is why I'm not into golf!
A small plane made an emergency crash landing at the Haggin Oaks Golf Complex in Sacramento, California, United States ??
▪︎ 4 August 2024 ▪︎
The single-engine Piper PA-28 plane experienced engine failure shortly after takeoff from McClellan… pic.twitter.com/aonCB8JuTA— DISASTER TRACKER (@DisasterTrackHQ) August 6, 2024
"We were on the 16th hole when this happened," golfer Tim Colin told KCRA about the Sunday afternoon incident. "Our group heard the loud crash, but we had no idea it was a plane."
Aviation officials reported that the single-engine Piper PA-28 experienced an engine failure while taking off from the privately owned McClellan airport, dropping 400 feet from the air.
"Luckily, there was a golf course nearby where he could lay it down," said Sacramento Fire Department Capt. Justin Sylvia.
The aircraft came to a stop just before the Haggin Oaks pro shop.
'Literally 10 feet to the right, it would have gone through our glass door, straight into the pro shop,' Morton Golf vice president Ken Morton Jr told KCRA.
'I have lots of staff, lots of customers in there, and it would have been really disastrous. The fact it ended up with everyone being OK is really a miracle.'
The outlet reported that the pilot sustained minor injuries.
'This is something we don't see very often,' Sylvia toldCBS News. ‘The remarkable thing about this situation is no one was injured.’
The crash is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.
