GoPro films pilot making dramatic hard landing at Hawthorne Airport

HAWTHORNE, Calif. (KABC) — A GoPro captured the moment a pilot was forced to make a hard landing in Hawthorne after his flight instructor miscalculated.

It happened on Wednesday at Hawthorne Airport.

Wes Arnold, who had recently purchased the aircraft, was preparing for his upcoming test with his flight instructor.

The 36-year-old says the flight instructor miscalculated the landing and pushed the plane to its limits at high speed. In the GoPro footage, the plane’s wings can be seen shaking as it slides clockwise down the runway.

You can hear the teacher blaming himself.

“So, I owe you $50,000,” he said.

“I fucking destroyed your plane.”

“It’s all good,” Arnold replied.

“No, it’s not good,” said the pilot.

Arnold said the two sat on the runway after landing and prayed together.

“It was such a beautiful moment during the storm and we are just thankful that God protected us,” he said.

AIR7 captured the moment Arnold comforted his instructor while the crew worked on the plane’s damaged wing.

“Of course you see the (propeller) “It’s smashed open and completely bent,” he said. “You can see there are cracks here where it’s kind of been crushed at the front of the plane. So the whole thing has to be taken apart, which is about $30,000 to replace the engine.”

Arnold bought the plane less than a year ago in Oregon and flew it to Southern California.

He said he is working with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and his insurance company to get the plane repaired.

“Accidents happen and I’m just thankful that no one was hurt,” he said.