A light aircraft plummeted onto a crowded road in Tenerife yesterday afternoon, forcing terrified tourists to scatter as wreckage flew across the tarmac.
The dramatic incident unfolded at around 5pm on Thursday near the popular Amarilla Golf resort in the south of the island, just meters away from holiday accommodation.
Witnesses described scenes of panic as the stricken plane descended towards them during its uncontrolled approach.
The aircraft, which had reportedly experienced engine trouble shortly after departing, came down on roads close to residential properties and tourist flats.
It finally ground to a halt at a junction, leaving debris strewn across the carriageway.
The Reims-Cessna F172M Skyhawk, registered as EC-NME and operated by Blue Team Flight School, suffered a catastrophic loss of power moments after becoming airborne.
As the pilot battled to control the failing aircraft, it struck a lamppost and collided with trees before finally stopping.
The impact left the small plane severely damaged, with photographs from the scene showing its wings broken off and the nose section completely detached from the fuselage.
The plane crashed near the golf resort
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The battered aircraft was left sitting motionless in the centre of the road.
Authorities have launched an investigation to establish the precise technical fault that caused the engine to fail.
British tourist Jasmine Knight, visiting from Northampton, recounted the harrowing moment she was forced to flee for her life alongside her partner and brother-in-law.
Speaking to Canarian Weekly, she described the terrifying ordeal: "We had to run to avoid the plane when it hit a lamppost and trees, bringing it to a standstill before it reached us."
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Crews worked at the scene to remove the aircraft
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Ms Knight expressed her relief at the narrow escape, adding: "I dread to think what would have happened otherwise."
The trio had been near the landing site when the aircraft began its rapid descent towards them, giving them only seconds to react before the plane careered past.
Fire crews from the Tenerife Fire Consortium arrived swiftly at the crash site alongside police officers and paramedics.
To prevent any risk of the spilled aviation fuel catching alight, firefighters covered both the wreckage and the surrounding road surface with a protective layer of foam.
No one was injured in the incident
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A spokesman for the 112 emergency department confirmed that both occupants managed to exit the aircraft unaided before being assessed by ambulance crews.
"The ambulance crews dispatched by the SUC assessed the two occupants who exited the aircraft on their own and transferred them to a hospital for observation and further evaluation, although they do not appear to have serious injuries," the spokesman said.
Remarkably, no pedestrians or passing vehicles were caught up in the incident.