A quiet Tuesday morning at Mission Beach in San Diego turned rather dramatic when a small private plane made an emergency landing just metres from the water. The Cessna, piloted by veteran aviator Victor Schneider, descended onto the sand after its engine failed mid-flight about 800 feet above the coast.

Schneider, who was flying with his daughter after taking off from Oceanside Airport, managed to steer the aircraft toward a stretch of beach clear of people. Both escaped unharmed, and no one on the ground was injured, The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Speaking to reporters, Schneider said that he had attempted to restart the engine several times before deciding to glide down.

“The thing is you want to put it down where it’s safe, and I didn’t want to hit anybody. So fortunately, the

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