In a jaw-dropping moment straight out of an action movie, a small plane crash-landed on the green of a luxury Los Angeles golf course Friday—barely missing a group of stunned golfers who watched in disbelief.
The single-engine Cessna 172, which was scheduled to land at Santa Monica Airport just six miles away, instead made an emergency landing at the famed Riviera Country Club in Brentwood after its engine suddenly failed mid-flight. The incident happened around 12:45 p.m. local time.
“Holy f—!” one shocked golfer shouted in a now-viral video posted on X, formerly Twitter, as the plane screeched across the fairway, bouncing violently before finally skidding to a halt—upright, but clearly battered.
Wow. A plane crash landed at Riviera today.
— Fore Play (@ForePlayPod) May 2, 2025
Hope everyone is okay. pic.twitter.com/n7xDkL3bhi
Miraculously, all three people on board walked away without injuries. Los Angeles Fire Department officials confirmed the pilot and two passengers were assessed on site and declined further medical treatment. Their identities have not been released.
The Riviera Country Club is no ordinary golf course. Nestled in the exclusive Pacific Palisades area, it’s hosted presidents, movie stars, and golf legends alike. “I’ve played here for years and never thought I’d nearly get taken out by a plane,” one golfer told a local outlet. “It missed us by maybe 15 feet.”
According to the FAA, the aircraft was en route from a local flight when the pilot issued a distress call reporting engine trouble. The pilot made a split-second decision to ditch the runway and land wherever was safest—landing, in this case, on one of the priciest patches of grass in America.
This isn’t the first time the skies over Santa Monica have turned treacherous. In 2015, actor Harrison Ford famously crash-landed a vintage World War II-era aircraft on the nearby Penmar Golf Course. Ford, then 72, suffered head injuries but recovered after hospital treatment. At the time, his rep said the plane experienced engine failure shortly after takeoff, and Ford “had no choice but to make an emergency landing, which he did safely.”
The Santa Monica Airport, which has long been the subject of political debate, has faced criticism for its proximity to densely populated residential neighborhoods. Residents and local leaders have pushed to shut it down altogether, calling it a safety risk.
“This is exactly why we’ve fought so hard to close this airport,” said one Brentwood homeowner. “If that plane came down a block earlier, we’d be talking about a tragedy, not a miracle.”
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board have launched an investigation into the crash.
As for the shaken golfers? “I think I’ve had enough excitement for one round,” said one. “I’m heading to the clubhouse—and ordering a double.”
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Come on guys, get it right. This was NOT a crash landing. It was a textbook EMERGENCY landing after engine failure. The pilot did an amazing job of missing the sand traps and the golfers. Harrison Ford did have a CRASH landing that destroyed his vintage airplane and sent him to the hospital. There’s a huge distinction.