Most golfers only need to worry about being hit by an errant tee shot.
But for one California golfer, he narrowly dodged a much bigger object.
An airplane!
According to the Sacramento Fire Department, a single-engine Piper 28A took off from McClellan Airfield a little before 1 p.m.
At around 400 feet altitude, the plane’s engine failed. Needing an open space to attempt an emergency landing, the pilot spotted the golf course and piloted the plane to a harrowing grass landing, skidding across the practice green, where golfers were warming up for their rounds.
“Our group heard the loud crash, but we had no idea it was a plane,” golfer Tim Cowan told local NBC affiliate KCRA 3. “We thought maybe some young kid was driving too fast and hit another vehicle in the parking lot.”
Another Haggins Oak regular, Fred Robertson, said that he putts on the practice green before his rounds all the time, but on Sunday something told him to “hold off.”
Thankfully the only injury reported was a small cut to the pilot’s hand.
Here’s dramatic footage of the crash, and the response from emergency crews:
Haggin Oaks surveillance footage shows how close a small plane got to hitting a golfer on a practice green during today's emergency landing >> https://t.co/wAhAa4PwWK pic.twitter.com/0Vuax40R1h
— kcranews (@kcranews) August 5, 2024
Plane Crash:
Haggin Oaks Golf Course
Crews arrived to a plane that emergency landed on the golf course and came to rest up against the pro shop. The pilot had minor injuries and was able to walk away from this incident. No others were injured. pic.twitter.com/P6k6OmOf3y
— Sacramento Fire Department (@SacFirePIO) August 4, 2024
An investigation into the crash by the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board is ongoing.