Plane crashes onto busy road near tourists in Canary Islands hotspot

By SABRINA PENTY, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 10:05, 5 June 2026 | Updated: 10:05, 5 June 2026 Tourists in Tenerife were left stunned on Thursday after a small plane crashed in the middle of a road after its engine failed.  The light aircraft was heading towards the island's South Airport, but the pilot was forced to pull off an emergency landing as it flew over the San Miguel de Abona neighbourhood, where the popular Amarilla Golf resort is located.  As the jet hit the ground at speed, debris was sent flying across the street, but the aircraft eventually came to a stop at a road intersection.  Images and videos of the scene showed the dented aircraft with its wings snapped in the middle of the road, while emergency crews worked around the wreckage.  The crash happened just a few hundred meters from the area's popular golf course.  Emergency services rushed to the scene, but no serious injuries were reported, according to local reports.  The pilot and co-pilot aboard the small plane were able to exit the aircraft on their own but were taken to the hospital for a medical examination.  Firefighters at the scene said they created a foam cushion around the aircraft to protect it from catching fire after it experienced a significant fuel leak.  A light aircraft crashed in the middle of a street in Tenerife after it experienced a fuel shortage  The pilot and co-pilot came out of the aircraft unharmed A British holidaymaker who witnessed the incident told English-speaking local news outlet Canarian Weekly that she was walking down the street with her partner and brother-in-law when the plane came down.  'We had to run to avoid the plane when it hit a lamp post and trees, bringing it to a standstill before it reached us. I dread to think what would have happened otherwise.'  Roads were temporarily blocked while emergency teams worked at the scene of the crash.  Meanwhile, authorities said they were investigating the cause of the crash.  A spokesperson for Spain's 112 emergency department said: 'The ambulance crews dispatched by the SUC assessed the two occupants who exited the aircraft on their own and transferred them to a hospital for observation and further evaluation, although they do not appear to have serious injuries. 'Firefighters poured a foam mattress over the area to prevent the fuel spilt on the road from igniting. The accident did not affect pedestrians or other vehicles.' The incident involving a small plane comes just days after a British glider pilot died after his aircraft lost altitude and crashed into a woodland during an international flying competition in northern Italy.  Jon Gatfield, 68, crashed on the slopes of Monte Grem above the mountain town of Gorno in the Val del Riso area of Bergamo province, Lombardy, on May 25 during the FAI Sailplane Grand Prix, which had started earlier that day from Varese near the Swiss border.  According to organisers, Jon had been flying alone in his motor glider when it suddenly began losing altitude at around 3.30pm for reasons that are still under investigation.  Another pilot taking part in the race reportedly spotted the aircraft descending abnormally and raised the alarm. Rescue teams, including firefighters, mountain rescue crews and a helicopter emergency service, reached the crash site within minutes, but Jon could not be saved. The experienced British pilot had been competing alongside 15 other glider pilots from across Europe in the international event. Reports said he had won the opening race of the competition the previous day after completing a 205-kilometre route in just over two hours. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.