As happens all too often in accident threads here, there seems to be a rush to judgement based on assumptions about what happened, and how, based on very little detailed knowledge.
Several posters here have made the assumption that the pilot deliberately chose to make his emergency landing on a crowded beach rather than ditch in the sea. On that basis he is called a coward and condemned out of hand.
Well, let me speculate as well about what may have happened:
. The plane has an engine failure and the pilot sets up an approach to the beach with the option to put it into the sea
. The people on the beach hear the engine failing, realise what has happened, and get off the beach
. Some of them may be in the sea close to the beach thinking the plane won't land there (from the news story: ”According to reports, some sunbathers ran into the sea.”).
. Note: if that is true, it means they must have realised what was happening and had time to run into the sea or to vacate the beach in some other way
. The pilot sees this and elects to land on what, at that moment, is an empty beach
. The plane is now on very short finals and is gliding in silently
. An 8 year old girl doesn't realise what is happening and runs out onto the beach
. An adult sees this and runs out to try to save her
. The accident happens and the wing strut hits the victims
Now I stress that I don't know if this is what really happened any more that anyone else speculating here; but I suggest it is at least as plausible as saying that the pilot would cold-bloodedly hit someone in preference to ditching as has been implied by some of those posting.
Remember also that, once finally committed to landing on that beach, there is no reset button.
In the time-honoured phrase: "let's wait for the accident report".