The pilot of a light plane found one of the emptiest beaches in Sydney on which to make an emergency landing on Saturday after experiencing problems mid-flight.
Three people on board the small plane landed safely on Garie Beach in the Royal National Park south of Sydney at about midday on Saturday.
The plane landed safely on Garie Beach.Credit: Westpac Rescue Helicopter
The Jabiru J400 took off from the nearby NSW Sport Aircraft Club in the middle of the morning before reportedly experiencing engine problems.
Photos provided by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter show the plane’s front wheel dug into the sand with its nose point down. Its two main wheels are also under the sand.
“SITREP [situation report] from Garie Beach,” an emergency services responder said over the radio. “Light aircraft, forced landing on sand.”
Garie Beach, in the middle of the Royal National Park, has been hard to access since 2022 due to an access road being closed for repairs after a landslip. With the temperature hitting nearly 30 degrees on Saturday, most other beaches in the parkland were packed.
The plane landed on Garie Beach, south of Sydney.Credit: Westpac Rescue Helicopter
Authorities – including NSW Police, Fire and Rescue NSW, the Rural Fire Service and Surf Life Saving NSW – were forced to attend the site by boat and plane.
“The pilot, a 61-year-old man, and his two passengers were not injured,” a NSW Police spokesperson said.
Paramedics arrived via ambulance and rescue helicopter, but none of the people on board required assistance, a NSW Ambulance spokesperson said.
After confirming the occupants were safe, a new challenge arose for the responders, forced to work out how to move the plane away from the rising tide before it got swept into the water.
The aircraft was winched off the sand and relocated to a nearby carpark.
Data for the plane shows it was first registered for use in 2004.
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.