Originally Posted by
currawong
Why would that be?
Some of us do this for a living.
Some days I don't get above 300ft.
I respect the fact you have a PPL.
Respect the fact many on here have a bit more.
This was a training flight in a C152. The 300 or 60 ft where you planned to fly would have meant you were crop dusting, moving livestock or similar or a military pilot. An engine failure at crop dusting heights would mean an instant landing. Although crop dusting is outside my experience, I can imangine an engine failure on short final at the same hight and what would happen then.
An engine failure at PPL training or private flying altitude means some time to think - so even if I only have a PPL, I don't see how your engine failure at 60ft is directly comparible to an engine failure at PPL altitudes where you do have time to do things, including make a mayday and select a landing point. The 60 ft I mentioned also isn't the height where the pilots would have first realised this was a crowded beach - that would have been clear well beforehand. 60 ft is about where you might know your exact landing point on the beach and still have a few seconds to do something if there is something at your landing point.
Selecting a suitable forced landing site was drummed into me during PPL. In the absence of control problems, it's quite hard to see how a beach with people on it would be suitable.