Video captures plane's emergency landing, crash at Sacramento-area golf course
SACRAMENTO – Video captured a small plane's crash landing on the Haggin Oaks Golf Complex, skidding across the course and slamming into the shop and café.
Ethan Sison was golfing on the other side of the complex when he heard emergency crews responding to the crash early Sunday afternoon.
"I saw helicopters [and] ambulance after ambulance all around here," Sison said.
The single-engine Piper PA-28 had a complete engine failure, officials say, as it was taking off from McClellan airport – dropping 400 feet from the air.
"I saw the skid marks and I was like, 'What is that?' I thought it was a car at first," Sison said.
Sacramento Fire crews responded to the crash quickly.
"He had to crash land it right on the golf course," said Capt. Justin Sylvia.
Firefighters say the pilot walked away from this crash with minor cuts.
"This is something we don't see very often," Sylvia said. "The remarkable thing about this situation is no one was injured."
Still a little shaken up, the pilot was later transported to the hospital as a precaution.
Sylvia credits the pilot for avoiding populated places.
"There's tons of people playing golf, there's people in the pro shop," Sylvia said. "The fact that he was able to navigate the plane to a safe landing is something we don't typically see."
The NTSB now investigating this crash.