Dozens of startled golfers stood by on Sunday afternoon as a distressed single engine plane made a calculated crash landing on the links of Mona Vale Golf Course.
Around 2.30pm on 17 August a light aircraft – a Piper Cherokee (PA-28-140), manufactured in 1968 – was being flown by a student and flight instructor when it lost power.
The pilots banked, for an emergency landing on the golf course, but lost altitude and the plane’s right wing made contact with the ground before it skidded down the sloping grass. The wheels were torn from the undercarriage and it came to rest on the 15th fairway, thankfully far from the club’s newly renovated clubhouse.
Stunned onlookers included three women at the 16th who had just been celebrating one of them achieving a hole in one.
Another member told Manly Observer the plane came in low over their heads, and “It didn’t even sound like an engine was on”. People on the scene, including a doctor, provided aid until help was onsite.
Emergency services responded quickly, with paramedics arriving from Mona Vale Ambulance Station within minutes, joined by NSW Police, Fire and Rescue NSW, crews from Narrabeen and Forestville stations, and two more ambulances.
There were reportedly no significant injuries to the two men, both in their 50s, although the trainee pilot sustained facial lacerations and both were taken to Royal North Shore Hospital for assessment, due to the nature of the impact. The hospital later confirmed both were in a stable condition.
A golfer (Jason) who responded quickly and pulled out his phone to video the crash (below) praised the pilots for bringing it down safely.
“It is super lucky. Very grateful that there was nobody injured.”
Northern Beaches Police Area Command officers established a crime scene and immediately began inquiries, securing CCTV footage from the club and statements from witnesses.
It’s understood the plane had contacted air traffic control before the emergency landing, alerting them to the situation and their intention to attempt touch-down on the golf course.
According to police the matter is now with the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB). The reported engine trouble is yet to be verified. The absence of injuries may mean the crash will not be subject to an investigation.
Inspector Peck noted it was very “lucky” no bystanders were injured considering the number of people on the course, on a Sunday afternoon.
“Given the nature of the accident, both the pilot and the trainee pilot, had only minor abrasions and were coherent and had full recollection of events. They were very lucky.”
The wrecked plan will need to be cleaned up by its owner, which may require removal of the wings and a specialist salvage crew.
And the 15th hole?
A spokesperson for the club told ClubTIC they wasted no time dragging the wreck out of the way of players, and the hole is back in use.