A deaf woman survived being hit by a small custom-made plane that crashed into her as she walked her dog on a soccer field. Tiffany Harrison was seriously injured in the freak accident in Long Beach, Calif., and had to undergo surgery. Harrison, who is in her 40s, didn’t hear the home-built two-seater aircraft approaching the field as the pilot was making an emergency landing. Harrison’s sister, Brittany McFall, said she was shocked to receive the phone call about the incident, as things like that don’t normally happen. She worries that her sister may wind up having PTSD from the incident. Harrison suffered a fractured spine and a broken pelvis and required surgery for a large cut on her leg. Her dog was not injured in the accident. The pilot, who is in his 60s, also survived the crash and is recovering. He said he lost power and honestly didn’t think he would make it, but when he saw the soccer field, he decided that would be the best place for a landing. Long Beach Fire Department crews were called to the scene, where they worked to remove the pilot from the plane. The fire department confirmed that the plane’s fuselage was intact, though it had broken the landing gears. They also confirmed that the plane is certified by the FAA and is not an experimental or illegal aircraft.
