Pilot ‘avoids beach’, lands tourist plane in sea off France after engine failure

A pilot landed his tourist plane in choppy waters off southern France on Sunday after the aircraft's engine broke down, with all occupants surviving unharmed, firefighters said.

The Cessna 177 touched down 600 metres (1,968 feet) off the coast near the Mediterranean resort of Frejus shortly before 10:00 am (0800 GMT).

The local fire service said the pilot chose the location to "avoid the beach, where there were already a lot of holidaymakers".

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"To pull that off, you need a lot of technical ability and a bit of luck," a spokesman said.

Firefighters rescued two women and one man, who escaped unharmed but were shaken up.

The plane sank, although no pollution has been detected in the sea so far.

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