A SMALL PRIVATE airplane fell into the surf in Huntington Beach Friday afternoon. The pilot was rescued and was not seriously injured (HBFD photo).

A small private airplane tumbled into the surf off Huntington Beach Friday afternoon but the pilot was rescued and suffered no serious injuries.

According to the Huntington Beach Fire Department, the plane struck shallow water near Beach Boulevard around 1:30 p.m. Lifeguards pulled the one occupant from the water.

Published reports say that the airplane had been towing an advertising banner when it crashed into the water. The cause of the mishap is unknown.