Small Plane Executes Emergency Landing on Southern California Beach, No Injuries Reported

On Tuesday around midday, the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department reported that a small aircraft made an unplanned landing on Mission Beach.

The pilot, Victor Schneider, was accompanied by his daughter, a flight attendant, when the aircraft experienced an unexpected engine failure.

“My priority was to avoid hitting anyone,” Schneider explained.

According to Schneider, he had approximately 10 feet of firm sand available for the landing and had to skillfully navigate the aircraft through the high tide conditions.

“The engine completely failed,” Schneider recounted. “I managed to steer towards the beach, which luckily was sparsely populated, finding an ideal open area to bring the plane down safely.”

The two were not injured during the emergency landing. There were also no injuries reported from beachgoers.

The plane is a 1953 Cessna 170, and Schneider says he’s logged about 25,000 hours of flying over the years. He’s had this Cessna for over 23 years, and he says this is the first time he’s had a problem with it.

The FAA is expected to arrive to help move the plane from the shore and return it to Oceanside, where it departed.