By Lookout Staff

May 2, 2025 -- A small airplane meant to land at Santa Monica Airport made a bumpy but safe landing at Riviera Golf Course in Pacific Palisades early Friday afternoon.

The three passengers on board were uninjured, according to the Los Angeles and Santa Monica fire departments that quickly responded to the scene.

The Cessna 172G Skyhawk aircraft landed at 12:45 p.m. after the pilot reported engine issues, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

A 24-second video shows the plane skipping and bumping between sand traps, then past a small structure lined with golf carts before twisting to a stop at a path near a group of golfers.

A comment posted under the video said the airplane "took off out of Turlock municipal near Modesto around 1pm

"53 gallon fuel tank on the Skyhawk, should last 800 miles (this is only 300)."

During emergencies, pilots are often diverted to golf courses where they can land with few obstructions.

In March 2015, power failure caused actor Harrison Ford to crash his plane at Penmar Golf Club in Venice shortly after it took off from Santa Monica Airport.

Ford, who was the only person in the World War II-era single-engine plane, was “seriously injured” ("Harrison Ford’s Plane Lost Power Following Santa Monica Airport Takeoff, NTSB Says," March 11, 2015).