A small plane made an emergency landing on the beach west of Mussel Shoals on Sunday afternoon, startling beachgoers but causing no injuries, authorities said.

The single-engine aircraft — with a pilot and one passenger aboard — made a hard landing on the sand about 4:30 p.m. Sunday. According to the Ventura County Star, mechanical difficulty caused the emergency touchdown.

Minor repairs were made and the plane later took off from the beach.

The Ventura County Fire Department dispatched an engine to the scene and the National Transportation Safety Board was notified of the incident, the Star reported.

The pilot and passenger were not identified.

— Noozhawk publisher Bill Macfadyen can be reached at wmacfadyen@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk. Become a fan of Noozhawk on Facebook.