Small Plane Makes Emergency Landing on Florida Beach

A man was metal-detecting on a beach in St Augustine, Florida, when a plane made an emergency landing just ahead of him on November 14.

Joseph Cook recorded this video and originally posted it to Instagram with the caption, “I can’t believe this happened.”

The video shows Cook initially documenting himself sweeping the beach with a metal detector before he exclaims and starts running. A yellow plane can be seen lying upside down on the beach. Cook asks the pilot if he’s okay, and the pilot confirms he’s all right and explains that he lost his engine.

Cook and a woman can be heard talking about how he initially thought the plane crash was a “weird-sounding wave.” They then comment on how quickly the pilot was able to get out of the plane.

According to local news outlets, the plane landed upright along the shore but was overturned by waves. No injuries were reported. Credit: Joseph Cook via Storyful

Video transcript

[METAL DETECTOR BEEPING]

JOSEPH COOK: This is old stuff, too, you know? Oh, my god, y'all. Oh, my god! Oh, my god! Guys, somebody just crashed! Oh, my god! Oh, my god! Oh, my god! Oh, my god! Are you OK? Oh, my god. Are you OK, sir?

- Yeah. I lost my engine, so I just put it in.

JOSEPH COOK: OK. You need me to call somebody, man?

- The tower is aware of it.

JOSEPH COOK: OK.

- So they're gonna send--

- How's your back?

JOSEPH COOK: Oh, my god.

- He's a doctor, too.

JOSEPH COOK: OK. Scared the living hell out of me. Oh, my god. I was about to have a damn heart attack. I heard it and I was like, man, that's a weird sounding wave. He's lucky.

- Oh, my god.

JOSEPH COOK: This ground is not as soft as it looks. That is lucky.

- We had [INAUDIBLE] the problems. As we were walking, I didn't-- we'd be [INAUDIBLE] his way.

JOSEPH COOK: Oh, my god. Gave me a damn heart attack. Oh, my god. Just got right out.

- It's great that you came down then.

JOSEPH COOK: Oh, my god.

- I heard you yelling. And oh, I feel bad we were in his way. I didn't think he was was landing or I didn't know what he was doing.

JOSEPH COOK: Everything happens for a reason. Maybe-- maybe if-- maybe if y'all wouldn't have been there, I'm telling you, the ground is like hitting a brick. I'm really surprised.

- Really?

JOSEPH COOK: Yeah, I'm digging through it right now. There's nothing but rock underneath here. Wow. He is so lucky, man. Seriously.

- He got out of there quick.

JOSEPH COOK: I heard it. I turned around, he's gone. I cannot believe that.

- I heard him say we were in his way.

JOSEPH COOK: I know he said he's OK, but he needs to get checked out just make sure. With stuff like that, you just never know, man.

- He got out of there so quickly, though. But maybe because the waves have taken over.

JOSEPH COOK: He was ready to go. I mean, seriously, I turned around in one second. He was already out. He was standing up. I didn't know. I thought someone was in there.

- He did it immediately.