Plane makes emergency landing on beach after engine fails

Beachgoers have watched on in horror as a plane was forced to turn a tourist hotspot into a temporary runway after it began losing altitude.

Surfers Paradise resident Mark Waterford was flying the ultra-light aircraft today when the plane's engine failed, prompting an emergency landing.

“The engine decided to go on holidays, so (I decided to) just forward the stick a bit like a normal landing, like anywhere, and just land on the beach,” Mr Waterford told 9NEWS.

One witness has recalled watching the plane plummet, saying it quickly became “obvious he wasn't meant to be there”.

When the plane touched down, it skidded on the sand before spinning to a halt. No one was injured.

Mr Waterford, a pilot of 12 years, said he's flown this route many times before and was lucky to find a part of the beach that was largely deserted.

“It’s not where I wanted to land – but that’s life,” Mr Waterford said.

The plane is set to undergo repairs.