Pilot flees after plane lands on restricted Coast Guard beach in Cape May

A small plane landed on a restricted beach at the U.S. Coast Guard training center in Cape May County on Sunday night and authorities were searching for the pilot. The plane was still on the beach at dawn Monday morning. (Photo courtesy Brendan Hennessey)()

UPDATE: Pilot took banner plane without permission, landed on Coast Guard beach

The pilot fled after a small plane illegally landed Sunday on a restricted U.S. Coast Guard beach in Cape May County, officials said.

The pilot took the banner-towing plane from Paramount Air Service without permission, the company's president told the Cape May Star and Wave newspaper.

The Coast Guard training center was under "heightened security" after surveillance cameras recorded the plane landing on a secured beach on the southeast side of facility at 7:52 p.m.

The plane appeared to land nose down into the beach at the Coast Guard training center in Cape May County. (Photo courtesy Brianna Lockwood)

Video recorded by witnesses on the ground showed the small red plane diving and turning aggressively over a residential area before it landed on the beach. One photo by a a witness showed the plane appeared to stop nose down.

Among the agencies who responded are the Coast Guard Fire Department, Cape May County Police Department, the Cape May County Sheriff's K-9 Unit, the Coast Guard Police Department and Coast Guard Investigative Services.

The plane remained at the beach early Monday.

The Coast Guard couldn't immediately be reached for additional information.

Coast Guard personnel stand in front of a plane after it landed illegally Sunday night in Cape May. (U.S. Coast Guard)

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.