A plane nearly landed on a sunbather after the pilot flew dangerously low across a beach.
Pilot Juergen Drucker, 52, was flying his Piper PA-28-181 Archer II along coast of Germany when he came within inches of landing on the sunbathing tourist in Dune, Heligoland, an island in the north.
Explaining he misjudged his approach to the nearby air field Mr Drucker said: 'It was me that was flying and I am really sorry. I have to say, as the pictures show, that it wasn't one of my greatest achievements in the cockpit.
'In my defence I can say that I didn't see him because he was lying down and I'm just very grateful it worked out well and I didn't land on him.
'I don't want to say any more than that. I fear I will be in for a fine from the Federal Aviation Office but I hope I will be able to keep my licence,' said the pilot from the western city of Dortmund.
A holidaymaker on the beach Rainer Schmidt, 52, who shot the video from which these snaps were taken said: 'I was watching the planes come into land.
'I had seen five planes land before this one came in. I instantly realised that this one was coming into land far too low.
'The others were at least 6 metres high. It was so close to the man on the beach. The man was very lucky.'
Fellow bather Uwe Kaiser, 38, who had been lying on the same beach a sun loungers length away from the man who was almost killed said: 'Because the landing field is nearby not many people settle here so there is plenty of open beach, but it's a bit noisy.
'The man who was almost hit was lying down and he turned over to look after seeing the plane coming and then instantly flung himself down in the sand as it crossed over him. It really was a close shave.'
Seconds after passing over the man the plane hit a fence and then ploughed across a section of the beach before coming to rest on the runway.
The sunbather however decided it was not such a good place to rest, and was seen simply standing up and walking off.
Despite the crash landing the plane was not damaged too much and after some minor repairs the pilot was able to fly home the same evening.
Pilot Juergen Drucker, 52, was flying his Piper PA-28-181 Archer II along coast of Germany when he came within inches of landing on the sunbathing tourist in Dune, Heligoland, an island in the north.
Explaining he misjudged his approach to the nearby air field Mr Drucker said: 'It was me that was flying and I am really sorry. I have to say, as the pictures show, that it wasn't one of my greatest achievements in the cockpit.
'In my defence I can say that I didn't see him because he was lying down and I'm just very grateful it worked out well and I didn't land on him.
'I don't want to say any more than that. I fear I will be in for a fine from the Federal Aviation Office but I hope I will be able to keep my licence,' said the pilot from the western city of Dortmund.
A holidaymaker on the beach Rainer Schmidt, 52, who shot the video from which these snaps were taken said: 'I was watching the planes come into land.
'I had seen five planes land before this one came in. I instantly realised that this one was coming into land far too low.
'The others were at least 6 metres high. It was so close to the man on the beach. The man was very lucky.'
Fellow bather Uwe Kaiser, 38, who had been lying on the same beach a sun loungers length away from the man who was almost killed said: 'Because the landing field is nearby not many people settle here so there is plenty of open beach, but it's a bit noisy.
'The man who was almost hit was lying down and he turned over to look after seeing the plane coming and then instantly flung himself down in the sand as it crossed over him. It really was a close shave.'
Seconds after passing over the man the plane hit a fence and then ploughed across a section of the beach before coming to rest on the runway.
The sunbather however decided it was not such a good place to rest, and was seen simply standing up and walking off.
Despite the crash landing the plane was not damaged too much and after some minor repairs the pilot was able to fly home the same evening.
Source : DailyMail , Mirror
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