TBM Avenger Crash Lands On Busy Florida Beach

A Split-Second Decision

What’s the worst thing that could happen on a beach during a sunny Saturday afternoon? If you haven’t added “A WW2-era plane could land on me,” then you’ve been missing out.

This TBM Avenger was part of an air show at Cocoa Beach when its engine unexpectedly gave out. The plane had just returned to airworthy status a year before an extensive restoration process.

Initially, the pilot wanted to land on a nearby air strip, but later decided that it would have been safer to land it on water. If he followed his original plan, it would have forced him to fly over buildings and the Florida State Road A1A.

Fortunately, the Avenger was able to land safely – albeit scarily close to the surprised beachgoers that day.

The pilot was taken to a local hospital and was released without any serious injuries. Meanwhile, no other injuries were reported on the ground as a result of this crash landing.