Sightseeing plane makes emergency landing on Massachusetts beach

By Logan Hall

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    Massachusetts (WBZ) — What was supposed to be a scenic plane ride over Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts turned into a terrifying experience for a Long Island woman and her young cousin after their small aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing on Chappaquiddick Beach.

Sarah Sullivan and her 11-year-old cousin, Poppy, had just taken off for the tour when the plane’s engine failed mid-flight.

Engine failed mid-flight

“He told us that we were going to have to crash land on the beach,” said Sullivan. “So he told us to just tighten our seatbelts and brace ourselves.”

Sullivan said the landing went smoothly. She panicked on the way down, holding on and bracing for what she thought would be a big impact, but she said the pilot pulled it off seamlessly.

“Within minutes we were on the sand,” Sullivan said. “He made a really safe landing and we glided right through because the engine wasn’t working, we glided right through onto the sand.”

Crash landing on the beach

Sullivan credits the pilot’s calm demeanor and quick thinking for their safe return to land. She said that he trained for this type of landing and knew exactly where to take the plane.

“I’m very, very thankful. He was very calm and collected the entire time, which helped us stay a lot more calm than I was feeling internally,” she said. “And right when we got down, he asked us, made sure we were OK and was kind of walking us through what was happening and what was going to happen next.”

Though the cousins made it out safely, the close call left a lasting impression. Sullivan said it was her first time on a plane that small, and, understandably so, she added it would probably be her last.

“I didn’t know how it was going to go,” she said. “He said that he’s never had to do that before either, he had the safety training that that was a safe spot to land and told us that he’s never had to do it before. So we’re very lucky.

It was a terrifying experience, and Sullivan said she considers herself very lucky to have made it out without a scratch.

Statement from plane company

Classic Aviators, the company that runs the plane tours, said in a statement that both passengers are “safe and sound” and the pilot, Mike, and plane have since returned safely. They confirmed an “unforeseen engine issue” caused the pilot to land on the beach.

“We thank Mike for doing what was needed with care, dedication and years of hard work and training,” said Classic Aviators, in a statement posted on their Facebook page.

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