A forward-thinking pilot says he intentionally hugged the Lake Michigan shoreline on his flight to Iowa in case a problem came up.
That proved to be wise thinking, with the beach just north of Gary, Ind., offering a good spot for Luke Johnson to put his single-engine plane down Thursday evening.
"All of a sudden the oil pump gave out and I had to set it down," he said.
Johnson said he's been a licensed pilot for about two years and will likely need to have the wings of the plane removed so it can be loaded on a truck and hauled off the sandy spot.
The sight of the plane on the beach drew a crowd of onlookers as Johnson and his three passengers got out of the aircraft unharmed.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident.
