Plane Crash Lands on Busy California Golf Course; Pilot Walks Away Unscathed

by Natalie Neysa Alund

Haggin Oaks Golf Course, northeast of Sacramento: A startling plane crash saw a single-engine Piper PA28 come down on the greens, injuring only the pilot with minor wounds.

"The pilot had minor injuries and was able to walk away from this incident," said the Sacramento Fire Department in a statement.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson Rick Breitenfeldt confirmed the incident, stating the plane crashed at 1:15 p.m. local time, just south of McClellan Airfield. Footage obtained by USA TODAY shows the chaotic scene as the plane hit the ground, sliding sideways and slamming into the side of the pro shop.

Thankfully, no one else was injured, and the roughly 200 people on the course escaped harm. Haggin Oaks Golf Course VP Ken Morton Jr. said the monetary damage to the pro shop is not yet known, and investigators have not been able to access the building fully.

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.