After a Cessna Plane experienced technical difficulties, it was forced to make an Emergency Landing on a crowded beach 20 miles from Lisbon in Portugal. Two people sunbathing on the beach were killed, but so far no further injuries have been reported.

Hundreds enjoying a day on the beach when a plane appears

It’s summer in Portugal and the highly popular São João da Caparica beach was filled with hundreds of people on Wednesday, sunbathing and swimming. Suddenly out of the blue, a small Cessna plane with two people on board ran into difficulties and landed on the beach.

Many sunbathers ran into the water to escape from the landing plane, but two people didn’t have time to get out of the way.

An eight-year-old girl and a 56-year-old man died in the incident. The young girl was on the beach with her parents, who were not injured according to witnesses. They said the Cessna ran over the man’s legs as he lay on a beach towel.

Two people on board the Cessna that made an emergency landing

The national maritime authority in Portugal said in a statement that a Cessna plane with a pilot and passenger on board had made an emergency landing on the beach, hitting two people and killing them. According to officials there were no other injuries in the incident. The passengers on the plane were a flight instructor and a trainee pilot, who were both uninjured in the incident.

They were immediately questioned by the national maritime police after landing on the beach.

The International Business Times quotes witnesses as saying the Cessna appeared to be having difficulties and was wobbling as it swooped down low over the beach and the sunbathers.

They said everyone scattered, panicking as the plane made its descent. 20-year-old Rita Rogado told the Portuguese media that as the plane crashed, it dragged her a few feet along on the sand. Other witnesses on the beach said there was no engine noise as the plane landed and that it seemed to be gliding.

Plane appeared to have a broken wing

According to a report by the Guardian, images shown on Portuguese television showed the plane to have a partially broken left wing, which was reportedly hanging lower than the right. According to local news reports, the plane was registered to a Torres Vedras flying school. A report by the Diário de Notícias had said the Aerocondor aviation school had said the plane was on a training flight with one senior instructor and a student. The instructor reportedly has thousands of flying hours and much experience.
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