Investigation underway after small plane crashes on Carson golf course

An investigation is underway after a small plane crashed on a golf course in Carson on Sunday. 

The crash happened at around 3:45 p.m. at the Victoria Golf Course, located in the 400 block of MLK Jr. Street, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. 

Crews arrived and found that the plane, which appeared to have overturned in the incident, was not on fire.

Despite initial reports from firefighters claiming that two people were taken to the hospital, Sling Pilot Academy CEO Matt Liknaitzky says that no one on the ground or on the plane were injured. He says that the company owns the plane, but that it was being used for a recreational ride instead of training. 

Both of the occupants were taken to the hospital as a precaution, crews said. 

SkyCal flew over the spot of the crash, where the plane could be seen underneath a large tree. It was overturned and appeared to have suffered damage to both wings and the tail empennage. 

Witnesses say that the fact no one was injured was nothing short of a miracle. 

"it looked like the engine was failing," said Richard Peters, who was golfing at the time. "The prop stopped turning, and then he overshot the fairway here and then he hit that pole and then it flipped and hit the tree."

He says that people close by where the plane crashed used a golf club to shatter the window and free the occupants from inside. 

"Nothing at all wrong with them, I couldn't believe it," he said. "We were expecting a crime scene here."

The cause of the crash is under investigation by both the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration. 

"A single-engine Sling LSA crashed in Carson, California around 3:45 p.m. local time on Sunday, December 22," said a statement from the FAA. "Two people were on board. The FAA will investigate."