Watch: Plane Mysteriously Crashes Into Ocean At Huntington Beach - Stab Mag
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Watch: Plane Mysteriously Crashes Into Ocean At Huntington Beach

One week before the US Open of Surfing.

news // Jul 23, 2022
Words by Holden Trnka
Reading Time: 2 minutes

This might be the most SoCal story ever. 

Summertime in Orange County. The pitiful dribbles of a once glorious south swell lap the shores of Surf City. Children build sand castles and listen to their parents argue over where to put the Costco cooler. Golden-brown adolescents compete in a lifeguarding competition of some sort. Brett Simpson watches, steeped in contentment, from a beachfront villa. All are unaware of the impending chaos.

A small white plane, with an ambiguously branded tequila banner in tow, begins making its second lap, flying noticeably lower than before. Suddenly, in dramatic fashion, it falls from the sky and hurtles into the brine. Onlookers scream. Lifeguards activate. A collective breath is held.

No, this isn’t a Michael Bay film. 

This is real life,

Well, mostly.

On Friday afternoon, around 1:30, a small plane towing a tequila banner actually did crash-land into the waves at Huntington Beach. We may have exaggerated the Brett Simpson part.

Two lifeguards, Jake Shaffer and Aidan were on a break from their competition when the incident occurred. They paddled out to rescue the pilot, a young man who was disoriented but only slightly injured.  He received a cut to the head, but was able to climb out on his own.  He didn’t explain what happened, and was sent to the hospital to further assess any injuries.

Yeah the boys.

The plane was a small, single-engine Piper Cub. FAA investigators are undergoing an investigation as to what caused the crash. Witnesses say that the plane wasn’t making any noises as it crashed into the ocean.

Personally, we think the guy was on a kamikaze mission to avenge Steve Irwin.

Or he was sampling some of his product.

Got any theories?

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