This the dramatic moment an elderly pilot crashed a light aircraft into a tree, sending it hurtling towards the tarmac of a car park.
Manfred Forst, 79, only suffered minor injuries in the crash in the small town of Plainville, in Connecticut, police said.
The crash was captured by a nearby CCTV camera, with the footage showing the pilot desperately trying to turn his plane away from the tree as he approaches the car park.
But Mr Forst is too late in his attempts to avoid the crash, with the plane clipping the top of the tree before spinning in the air.
It then comes crashing to the floor, landing with a thump upright next to several cars parked nearby.
Police discovered his battered Cessna 172 airplane in the car park shortly after the crash at 11.25am on Monday.
Mr Forst, originally from Germany, was taken to hospital with only minor cuts and has since been released, police in Connecticut said.
He told NBC he was “on his way to breakfast” when the crash happened.
Mr Forst said: “"I was very fortunate I got out of it without any real injuries. I’m just so thankful.”
An investigation has been launched by the Federal Aviation Administration.
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