Dramatic moment low-flying gyrocopter crashes into sea near horrified beach sunbathers and swimmers – as officials say it was ‘only by chance it did not turn into a tragedy’

A gyrocopter was seen flying low over a beach in Italy before crashing into the sea in front of horrified sunbathers. 

The two seater aircraft was spotted soaring dangerously close to the ground above the shoreline of Marina di Minturno in the Italian province of Latina on Thursday.

A video of the terrifying ordeal showed the gyrocopter veering closer to the water close to a beach full on people. 

Seconds later it was seen crashing into the ocean and toppling to the ground amid a ferocious splash.

The pilot was miraculously unharmed following the crash, although Italian politician Francesco Emilio Borrelli warned it was ‘only by chance it did not turn into a tragedy’.

Seconds later it was seen crashing into the ocean and toppling to the ground amid a ferocious splash

The deputy of Alleanza Verdi Sinistra said: ‘We need to the incident that occurred at Marina di Minturno because it was only by chance that it did not turn into a tragedy.  

‘I have asked that the reasons for the sudden ditching of the aircraft be clarified, whether they were due to  mechanical failure or pilot error, and whether it is normal for such low-altitude flights so close to heavily crowded places like beach resorts.’ 

He added that gyrocopters and paragliders have become a ‘constant’ sight in Minturno ‘especially at low altitude and over the heads of bathers’. 

The politician also called for ‘tight controls… on the safety of those who operate them and the people hosted on board, with precise checks on provided by the flight codes and the possession of the necessary by the pilots.’