A pilot and his passenger made an emergency landing on a Long Island beach, escaping uninjured. Video shows the plane, a Cessna 152, gliding over Cedar Beach in Mt. Sinai before landing safely on the sand. The 60-year-old pilot and his 59-year-old passenger reported engine failure before making the controlled crash landing. This is the second time the plane has landed on a Long Island beach in eight years, with the first incident occurring at Sunken Meadow State Park in 2016.
During the first incident in 2016, pilot Robert Keletii was teaching a first-time student to fly when the engine failed at 3,000 feet over the North Shore. The plane made a forced landing at Sunken Meadow State Park, and both occupants walked away without injuries. Keletii made the decision to land on the beach to save their lives. The recent incident involved the same plane, although it is unclear who was inside during the emergency landing at Cedar Beach.
It is uncertain where the pilot and passenger had been flying from or their intended destination, as Cedar Beach is 15 miles from the nearest airport on Long Island. There are other potential landing options along the south shore, as well as an airport in Connecticut across from the Long Island Sound. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating the incident to determine the cause of the engine failure and emergency landing on the beach.
Despite the scare of the emergency landing, the pilot and passenger walked away from the incident unharmed. The video posted to social media captures the plane gliding smoothly over the sand at Cedar Beach as the sun sets in the background. After landing safely on the beach, the aircraft continued for a few seconds before the nose dipped into the sand, exposing the underbelly of the plane. Both occupants were fortunate to escape without injuries, marking the second emergency landing for the aircraft on a Long Island beach.
The controlled crash landing at Cedar Beach was the result of engine failure, a situation similar to the previous incident in 2016. The pilot made a quick decision to land on the beach to save their lives, a move that ultimately proved successful in both instances. The FAA will investigate the circumstances surrounding the emergency landing to determine if there were any mechanical issues or other factors that led to the engine failure. Despite the potentially dangerous situation, the pilot’s quick thinking and skillful execution allowed both the pilot and passenger to walk away from the incident unharmed.
