Emergency Plane Landing on Huntington State Beach

An Unplanned Beach Landing

Monday afternoon, an urgent situation unfolded for Mike Bremner and his nephew Griffin Bremner. While flying in a Piper PA-28 Cherokee aircraft, they encountered an engine failure that forced them to make an emergency landing on Huntington State Beach.

Taking off from Orange County’s John Wayne Airport shortly before 2 p.m., the engine cut out minutes into the flight. Griffin noticed the plane faltering, with slowing propellers. Mike’s quick thinking led to a decisive plan.

“Once we realized we were getting too low, we had to focus on landing, and I looked to my right and there was a beautiful big beach,” said Mike.

Successfully, they aimed for a vacant spot on the beach, safely landing the plane around 2 p.m. near Magnolia Street in Huntington Beach.

Beach Emergency Response

A couple on the beach swiftly moved aside as the aircraft descended. Upon hitting the sand, the plane continued rolling for about 100 feet before Mike executed a sharp turn, bringing it to a halt.

California State Parks personnel responded to the incident between Brookhurst and Magnolia Streets. Coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will facilitate further investigation into the engine’s failure. No injuries were reported, though there was a partial area closure surrounding the plane.

A representative indicated the flight was from Santa Ana airport to Van Nuys Airport, with engine failure occurring about five minutes after takeoff.

Continued Passion for Aviation

Despite the incident, Mike, founder of the nonprofit Elder Abuse Airforce, remains undeterred. His organization uses airplane adventures to raise awareness of financial scams against seniors.

“I fly corporate jets for a living and have the utmost confidence in aircraft and the way they’re maintained,” he stated.

He affirmed his commitment to continue flying, considering the experience as an unfortunate occurrence. The organization operates from John Wayne Airport.

Evan Schaben contributed photography for this article.