Sydney, Australia: A training flight ended in a dramatic emergency landing on Sunday afternoon when a light aircraft carrying a flight instructor and a student pilot crash-landed on the Mona Vale Golf Course in Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Both men survived with minor injuries, according to emergency officials.
The aircraft, identified as a Piper Cherokee, went down shortly after 2:00 p.m. during a scheduled training flight. Witnesses told ABC News Australia that the plane lost height quickly before skidding across the golf course, tearing off its landing gear and damaging one wing before coming to rest on the green.
Paramedics confirmed that both occupants, an instructor and his student, each believed to be in their 50s, managed to exit the wreckage without assistance. One suffered minor facial cuts while the other was treated for shock. Both were transported to Royal North Shore Hospital, where they remain in stable condition.
Nearby golfers rushed to the scene moments after the crash, providing initial assistance before emergency services arrived. Eyewitnesses described the landing as “hair-raising” but credited the instructor’s quick decision-making for avoiding a far more serious tragedy.
The Piper Cherokee had departed Camden Airport and was heading south towards Wollongong when engine trouble was suspected mid-flight. Investigators believe the pilot attempted to divert but was forced to make an emergency landing, selecting the golf course as the safest available option.
Video footage shared by multiple outlets, shows the aircraft gliding at low altitude before impacting the turf and skidding across the fairway. The landing gear collapsed on impact, and debris scattered across the course.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) confirmed it had been notified and is gathering preliminary evidence. However, it is not yet clear whether a full on-site investigation will be launched.
