WWII-era Plane Crash-Lands in the Ocean During Florida Air Show

A WWII-era plane which crash-landed in the ocean during a Florida air show has been compared to pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger's emergency landing in the Hudson.

Dramatic footage captures the moment the single-engine TBM Avenger drops out of the sky, just south of Cocoa Beach, as it flies low above dozens of beachgoers.

The vintage aircraft was part of the Cocoa Beach Air Show, but a mechanical failure forced the pilot to ditch the plane on the packed beaches near the Patrick Space Force Base.

Beachgoers filmed Saturday's incredible landing, with clips racking up millions of views on social media.

People can be heard expressing their shock as the craft comes down, and footage shows bystanders rushing towards the plane as it comes to a halt after skidding along the surface.

Melanie Schrader, from Eau Gallie, told Florida Today: "He was sputtering down the beach and I was like, 'oh he doesn't sound good' and I just started filming. It looked like [the pilot] pulled up at the last moment and avoided any spectators, there were loads of people on the water, and then I saw him on top of the plane. It looked like he was okay."

While Kinley Robinson Tweeted: "The pilot managed to land it in the water with no injuries to anyone. People immediately began to jump in the water and crowd the plane. Beach goers cheer and thank the pilot for landing safely without injuring anyone in the water!"

Despite the shore being crowded with onlookers no injuries were reported, and the pilot walked away from the crash unscathed.

In a statement, Cocoa Beach Air Show officials said: "The TBM Avenger performing in the warbird parade had a mechanical issue and the pilot was able to bring the plane down close to the shore. Rescue personnel were immediately on scene and the pilot is OK," according to Florida Today.

The pilot, who was not identified, has been praised for their skilful "soft" landing in the shallows.

Air Show Chairman, Bryan Lilley, compared it to the 2009 emergency landing in the Hudson river by pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger.

He told Florida Today: "I saw a video of it — and it just made me think of what Sully did in the Hudson River. It was incredible. What skill by that pilot. I feel really bad for them. They just got done restoring that. They put so much time into it. I'm very happy the pilot's OK, but I'm really sorry that the aircraft ended up in the water."

The U.S Airways flight 1549 suffered multiple bird strikes shortly after take-off forcing the pilots to land in the water, saving the lives of all 155 people on board.

The U.S Naval Institute also praised the landing, saying: "It is painful to see a vintage TBM Avenger go down, but the pilot did well to safely ditch the plane after experiencing a mechanical issue while performing at the Cocoa Beach Air Show yesterday. The Avenger had only been flying for a year after undergoing an 18-year restoration."

The pilot had been given the green light to land at Patrick Space Force Base, but the Valiant Air Command, Inc. Facebook page revealed there wasn't time, saying: "Pilot was cleared to land at Patrick, however gravity and mother nature had other plans."

They added: "The pilot performed the safest ditch maneuver possible, and landed the plane just offshore from Patrick Space Force Base. He was taken to the hospital after walking away from the incident, and he has been released with no injuries. . . The not so good news is that it may take several years to rebuild the Avenger. . . We can confirm that the TBM has been retrieved from the water. She is secured and under guard from Patrick Space Force Base security forces on the back of a trailer in preparation to bring her home in the morning."

According to the Cocoa Beach Air Show website the WWII-era plane had recently returned to the skies, after serving as a fire bomber with the U.S. Forestry Service.

The website said: "The Valiant Air Command's TBM Avenger #91188 was delivered to the United States Navy during World War II. Following her retirement she saw extensive service in the hazardous role of fire bomber for the U.S. Forestry Service.

"In 2002 she was acquired by the VAC and for 18 years has been undergoing an extensive restoration. On January 11th, 2020 she returned to skies for the first time in several years a testament to the hard work and dedication of the VAC's skilled restoration volunteers."