• A plane crash near the Santa Monica pier leaves one dead.
• No information was provided regarding the pilot’s condition.
• The Federal Aviation Administration has initiated an investigation.

On Friday, authorities were conducting an investigation into a fatal plane crash on the golden sands of Santa Monica Beach in California.

Thursday, the Cessna 150 flipped violently as it made an emergency landing just metres (yards) from the world-famous Santa Monica pier, a popular tourist destination.

Beachgoers watched helplessly as the pilot appeared to attempt to land on the packed sand at the water’s edge before the light plane hit the waves and somersaulted.

Rescue personnel rushed to free the pilot and passenger.

Rex Minter, who was mayor of Santa Monica in the 1960s and 95 years old, passed away.

No information was provided regarding the pilot’s condition.

The Federal Aviation Administration has initiated an investigation, according to FAA spokesperson Ian Gregor.

“The pilot reported engine issues after departing from Santa Monica Airport,” he said.

Josh Feenberg, a bystander, reported that he and a friend were on the beach when the plane crashed.

“My friend saw a plane flying really low and was really confused,” Feenberg told the media.

“Then we saw it fly down there and we thought it would be a smooth landing but it hit the water and flipped over. It was pretty scary.”

Santa Monica’s stretch of pristine sand and its expansive oceanfront make it a summertime tourist destination.

The city’s grand wooden pier, which houses a funfair, is the western terminus of Route 66, the Chicago-to-Los Angeles highway made famous by Nat King Cole and later The Rolling Stones.

See video!

Video of that plane crash in Santa Monica pic.twitter.com/PSUn15b304

— Downtown LA Scanner (@DowntownLAScan) December 23, 2022

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