iStockphoto / PaulSveda
A truly wild scene was captured by a Haggin Oaks Golf Complex security camera when a plan crash landed onto the practice area while a golfer was on the putting green.
Footage from the security camera was released and shared on X, formerly Twitter, and it shows the tiny Piper PA-28R-201T Turbo Arrow III crash landing at the Haggin Oaks Golf Complex in Sacramento, California and plowing past the golfer who was hitting putts on the practice green. A huge piece of debris can be seen flying toward the golfer as the plane goes bouncing past.
According to reports, engine failure is what led to the plane crash landing on the course:
A pilot crashed his plane through a practice green at a Sacramento area golf course, and almost hit a golfer working on their game. Hopefully the pilot's OK. pic.twitter.com/1D4gzWL5IA
— Ryan Ballengee (@RyanBallengee) August 5, 2024
From a golfer’s point of view, this has unlocked a new fear in me. And I can’t help but think about the countless number of golfers I see in the practice area with AirPods or earbuds in while listening to music. Imagine if you were out there practicing and didn’t hear the initial crash because you were listening to a podcast…
The ‘Breaking Aviation’ account reports that somehow the pilot of the single engine Piper PA28 aircraft walked away after he crash landed onto the golf course and only sustained minor injuries from the incident.
As far as recreation aircraft go, the Piper PA-28R-201T Turbo Arrow III is quite affordable. There are numerous listings on the Internet for these planes at around $100K to $125K, all dating back to 1977/78 models. There is certainly a lot of risk involved in buying an older plane, as can be seen here.