Factor 50 won’t protect this sunbather from the rubber tyres of a plane that nearly crash-landed on his back.

This holidaymaker got the shock of his life as he soaked up rays on a beach in Heligoland, an island in northern Germany.

Pilot Juergen Drucker, 52, came within inches of colliding with the man as he flew his Piper PA-28-181 Archer II along the coast.


Seconds after passing over the man the plane hit a fence and then ploughed across a section of the beach before coming to rest on the runway.

‘That it wasn’t one of my greatest achievements in the cockpit’ says pilot who nearly crash landed on sunbather’s back (Picture: CEN)

He said: ‘It was me that was flying and I am really sorry. I have to say, as the pictures show, that it wasn’t one of my greatest achievements in the cockpit.



‘In my defence I can say that I didn’t see him because he was lying down and I’m just very grateful it worked out well and I didn’t land on him. I don’t want to say any more than that. I fear I will be in for a fine from the Federal Aviation Office but I hope I will be able to keep my licence.’

The plane ploughs through a fence before grinding to an abrupt halt on the runway (Picture: YouTube)

A holidaymaker on the beach, Rainer Schmidt, 52, who shot the video from which these snaps were taken said: ‘I instantly realised that this one was coming into land far too low. It was so close to the man on the beach. The man was very lucky.’

Despite the crash landing the plane suffered only minor damage and the pilot was able to fly home the same evening.