A deaf woman in Southern California is recovering after a small plane crash-landed into her as she walked her dog across a park in Long Beach, California.
Tiffany Harrison, in her 40s, was walking through a local soccer field on October 21 when a two-seat home-built aircraft lost power and made an emergency landing, striking her mid-crash. Because Harrison is deaf, she didn’t hear the plane descending behind her, according to her sister Brittany McFall, who spoke with ABC7.
“She’s traumatized,” McFall said. “A normal person wouldn’t just walk in the park and have this freak accident happen.” Harrison suffered a fractured spine and pelvis and required surgery for a severe leg injury. Her dog survived without harm.
Woman survives freak plane crash in California
Witnesses said the pilot, a man in his 60s, was attempting to reach the field after radioing that his engine had failed. “I’ve lost power, declaring an emergency,” he told air traffic controllers moments before impact, according to CBS News.
Long Beach Fire Department crews arrived to find the plane resting on its belly with broken landing gear. Both Harrison and the pilot were transported to nearby hospitals.
Hangar manager Dennis Lord told ABC7 the plane was an experimental model legally certified by the FAA. “There are hundreds of them flying over Southern California all the time,” he said, explaining that hobbyists often assemble and operate the aircraft under federal regulations.
Authorities are investigating what caused the engine to fail. Harrison’s family says she faces a long recovery but remains thankful to be alive after an accident few could imagine surviving.
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