A beach on fire island so a considerable degree of excitement Monday afternoon after a small, single engine airplane crashed onto the sand in front of multiple people laying out and catching a few rays of sunshine.
The Piper PA-28 aircraft – registered to a Nassau County flight school – set down on Atlantique Beach at about 12:15 p.m. on Monday afternoon after the pilot experienced engine trouble, giving beachgoers a considerable fright.
Witnesses of the crash noted that the plane appeared to be poised to tip over following the rough landing, but ultimately righted itself and safely came to a stop. No injuries were reported, said Ocean Beach Fire Chief George Hesse.
“They landed right where they could land,” he told the media. “It was a light beach day.”
The Federal Aviation Administration is scheduled to release a report about the crash on Tuesday.
