Cessna flips in crash landing on Santa Monica Beach; 2 people taken to hospital

Gregory Yee
·1 min read
SANTA MONICA, CA - DECEMBER 22: An investigation in underway as a single-engine Cessna airplane flipped over after the pilot landed on the beach south of the pier on Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022 in Santa Monica, CA. Firefighters were called at 3:17 p.m. to the 1800 block of Santa Monica Beach, said Capt. Patrick Nulty, a spokesperson for the city's Fire Department. Both occupants were rescued and transported to a hospital. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
A single-engine Cessna airplane crashed on the beach in Santa Monica on Thursday. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

A single-engine Cessna airplane flipped over after the pilot landed on the beach in Santa Monica on Thursday afternoon.

Firefighters were called at 3:17 p.m. to the 1800 block of Santa Monica Beach, said Capt. Patrick Nulty, a spokesperson for the city's Fire Department.

The airplane landed on the beach and flipped over into the surf, Nulty said. Two people were on board.

Both occupants were rescued and transported to a hospital, the captain said. Information on their conditions was not immediately available.

The pilot had reported engine issues after taking off from Santa Monica Airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash. Further information was not available from federal authorities on Thursday.

Video of the landing posted on social media shows the airplane flying low past the Santa Monica Pier. The airplane lands with a splash amid breaking waves, according to the video.

The video shows the airplane flip over from nose to tail before coming to rest upside down.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.