11-year-old Krysta Howard's first time to the beach made quite the impression.
"I was surprised. It was unbelievable," said the Atlanta, Georgia native.
A day that was suppose to be spent with her dad collecting shells turned into a day of the two collecting a memory unlike most.
"We heard this noise and then my dad turned around. He was like "look," and I turned around and this plane was emergency landing. It went right over our heads."
Around 11:45 Thursday morning, a pilot flying a NanChang single engine aircraft reported having engine trouble over Horry County.
Less than 30 minutes later, the pilot made a successful emergency landing on the beach in Ocean Lakes Campground. The pilot and the co-pilot are both fine, as is the plane. No one on the ground was injured and there wasn't any damage.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration database, the plane is owned by a company called Pentagon of Myrtle Beach Incorporated. The address listed for the company is the same address listed for former Marine Lieutenant Blaine Liljenquist.
Liljenquist's name is on the side of the plane. Both he and the co-pilot declined our request for an interview.
Myrtle Beach resident Corey Cannon talked to us though. He watched the plane land from the beach. He's on vacation from working in Kandahar, Afghanistan and said a plane on the beach won't sway him away from coming home.
"Oh Lord, no I'm coming back home. I don't care if they land the whole dog-gone Air Force here," said Cannon. He said the landing is just another story to share with friends. "Little something we can tell everybody about for Christmas day."
Krysta says it's a story that will be tough for her friends back home to believe.
A flat bed tow-truck moved the plane off the beach late Thursday afternoon and back to the plane's hangar.
