Golfers enjoying a sunny Sunday afternoon at Sydney’s Mona Vale Golf Club were stunned when a small plane suddenly appeared overhead, gliding down with an eerie silence before crash-landing near the 15th hole. The Piper Cherokee, a single-engine aircraft, made its dramatic forced landing on August 17, 2025, just after 2 pm—a moment captured in viral videos and onlookers’ shocked faces. Against all odds, both men aboard, a pilot instructor and his trainee, emerged with only minor injuries, turning what could have been a tragedy into a tale of survival and quick action.
According to reports from ABC and The Manly Observer, the aircraft had departed from Camden about an hour earlier and was on a training flight, ultimately destined for Wollongong. The flight, which had started routinely, took a harrowing turn as the plane lost power midair over Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Witnesses described the moment as surreal. Keanu Turnewitsch, waiting for his friend to take a swing, recalled, “It was dead silence. About 30 seconds later, we had a big crunching sound... then all the ambulances and everything started coming past and sirens for 20, 30 minutes. By the time we got back around, there was an airplane on the golf course.”
Another golfer, Callum Nicholls, offered further insight to Manly Observer, saying, “The plane came in really low over the top of our heads, and there was no propeller movement... It didn’t even sound like an engine was on.” He added, “He banked around the corner here to obviously try and come down the 15th, but lost altitude coming down, skidded across and just ended up there.”
Videos shared widely on social media, including TikTok and X, show the Piper Cherokee gliding in at a slight tilt, then skidding on its belly across the fairway before grinding to a halt. Debris from the aircraft was strewn across the course, but remarkably, the plane remained mostly intact. As described by a witness in a TikTok video, “Something was not right. The sound was a bit jarring, but you could see it was a pretty gentle, textbook kind of landing. All props to the pilot. He managed to bring it down safely.”
Emergency services rushed to the scene within minutes. NSW Ambulance Inspector Chris Peck told 9News that both men, aged in their 50s, “had minor abrasions but were coherent and had full recollection of events.” He confirmed that they were treated at the scene before being transported in stable condition to Royal North Shore Hospital. One of the men reportedly suffered minor facial injuries, but both were considered incredibly lucky to have avoided serious harm.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) was promptly notified and began gathering information about the incident. A spokesperson for the agency told News18, “The ATSB has been notified of a forced landing accident involving a Piper Cherokee at Mona Vale Golf Course, NSW, and is gathering further information.” The spokesperson added that investigators would interview the pilots, witnesses, and other involved parties. They are also collecting any available video footage, flight tracking data, weather reports, and maintenance records related to the aircraft. “The ATSB calls for anyone who may have footage of the aircraft in any stage of its flight to submit it via atsb.gov.au/witness,” the spokesperson urged.
Initial reports indicate that the emergency landing was likely caused by engine power loss, though the exact cause remains under investigation. The aircraft, a Piper PA-28-149 Cherokee, was being used for a training flight when the trouble began. According to flight tracker data cited by ABC, the plane had taken off from Shellharbour, made a stop at Camden, and was heading north when the incident occurred. The pilot instructor and student managed to maintain control long enough to execute a belly landing, losing the plane’s wheels in the process but avoiding a catastrophic crash.
Golfers on the course were left shaken, but many rushed to help as soon as the plane came to a stop. Footage from The Manly Observer shows bystanders sprinting toward the wreckage as debris settled on the green. One person could be heard yelling as others called for help. “It was crazy. We literally just heard this noise, and then all of a sudden it went bang,” recalled another witness.
Despite the dramatic nature of the accident, the response from both emergency services and the golfing community was swift and effective. Paramedics provided immediate care, and the area was quickly secured to allow investigators to begin their work. The ATSB has stated that they may recover aircraft components for further examination at their technical facilities in Canberra. A final report will be published at the end of the investigation, unless a critical safety issue is identified sooner, in which case relevant parties will be notified immediately so that safety action can be taken.
Though the crash caused a stir on social media and among local residents, aviation experts have pointed out that the outcome could have been far worse. Forced landings on golf courses, while rare, have historically offered smoother terrain for emergency descents compared to urban environments. The quick thinking of the pilot and trainee, combined with the open space of the Mona Vale Golf Club, likely prevented a more serious disaster.
This incident follows another recent aviation scare in the United States, where a small plane carrying four people crash-landed into a parked aircraft at a Montana airport, causing fires but, fortunately, no fatalities. Such events underscore the importance of rigorous training, prompt emergency response, and thorough investigations by agencies like the ATSB to ensure continued improvements in aviation safety.
As the ATSB continues its investigation, the golfing community at Mona Vale is left with an unforgettable story—and perhaps a new appreciation for the unpredictability of a day on the greens. For now, the two men who walked away from the crash are a testament to training, composure, and a bit of luck. The final report from the ATSB will shed more light on what went wrong and how similar incidents can be prevented in the future.
