For those of us in Cape Town, we are treated daily to the sight of a plane carrying the banner of a prominent South African strip club, although I have yet to hear of said plane experiencing difficulties like this one in the U.S.

Folks soaking up the sun in Carlsbad, southern California got a real fright on Saturday as a small plane towing a banner crashed on the beach in front of them during their Fourth of July holiday celebrations. Mashable has more:

The single-engine Piper PA18 lost engine power, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor [said]. The plane flipped over after landing on the beach between the power plant and Tamarack Avenue. Authorities worked to evacuate the area and some nearby streets were closed for several hours, according to the city.

A statement released by the city said that the pilot had emerged unscathed, although at least one bystander was taken to a local hospital with injuries sustained during the accident. More below from the Instagram account of someone on the scene:

The plane was eventually removed from the scene around four hours later with the help of a crane.

At least it wasn’t carrying a message calling out a celebrity chef for philandering, something that might have caused far less sympathy.

You can see a few video clips of the aftermath (as well as one shaky clip of the plane coming down) HERE.

[source:mashable]