A small plane that crashed Thursday night on Santa Monica Beach, where many tourists gather each year to admire the end of the famous Route 66 at the gates of Los Angeles, is the subject of an investigation by authorities. One person died, AFP reports.

Images of the crash, which happened late Thursday afternoon, quickly went viral on social media.

Footage of the crash shows the plane flying dangerously low near the famous pier that dominates the beach with the amusement park, before crashing several dozen meters away and flipping sharply onto the sand as incredulous bystanders look on.

Former Santa Monica Mayor Rex Minter was killed in the crash, authorities said. The nonagenarian was the sole occupant of the small Cessna 150.

The investigation is open, the authorities have not released any information about the condition of the pilot of the plane.

According to a representative of the Federal Aviation Administration, he “reported an engine failure after departure from the Santa Monica airport.”

On the beach, the witnesses of the accident could hardly understand what was happening.