A flight instructor and a student pilot made a miraculous escape after a light aircraft they were in crash-landed on a golf course in Sydney on Sunday. The aircraft, which was on a training flight, crashed at Mona Vale Golf Club just after 2 pm (local time). The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) confirmed it is investigating the incident.

Some people present in and around the area shared the video of the moment the plane crashed in the golf course. Footage from the scene showed the aircraft resting on the fairway with one wing heavily damaged and its landing gear torn off. 

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Cause of forced landing

Emergency services were quickly deployed, with NSW Ambulance confirming both men, aged in their 50s, sustained only minor injuries, ABC reported. They were treated at the scene before being transported to Royal North Shore Hospital for further assessment. One of the pair suffered a minor facial injury, the report stated.

Authorities said the cause of the forced landing has not yet been determined, though early indications point to possible engine trouble.

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Looked like a big bird at first

Witnesses reported the aircraft flying unusually low before the crash. A golfer waiting for his turn to tee off told ABC News he first mistook the aircraft’s shadow for a bird. “I looked up and there was an airplane close enough I could have thrown a club up and hit it,” he said. Moments later, he heard “a big crunching sound” before ambulance sirens filled the area.

Another witness in nearby Kitcher Park told the press that she saw the plane circling before dipping its wings. “It came up from the south, headed back down, then circled north and dipped its wings,” she said.