With smoke billowing from inside the cockpit, this is the moment a co-pilot of a small airplane filmed his own crash-landing as he was on his way to a Thanksgiving family reunion.

The pilot, a retired naval aviator and test pilot, was flying from Virginia Beach in Virginia to Birmingham, Alabama, with his son and his girlfriend on November 28, 2013, in a Beech V35 when he was forced to make an emergency landing.

After three hours flying, the pilot heard a “loud pop” and the engine then lost total power.

In the video, oil starts to appear on the windscreen and smoke begins to fill the cockpit.

"The airplane was too far away to glide to the destination airport, so the pilot chose to perform a forced landing to a field," explains an official report.

In the video, the pilot manages to reach the ground but hits some trees, eventually coming to an abrupt halt at the foot of a large tree.

At this point, the video ends abruptly because the phone was sent flying 75ft out of the plane window, the filmer later told Newsflare.

The lucky passengers managed to get away with only small injuries - and made their Thanksgiving dinner with their family.

DOWNLOAD THE ORIGINAL, EXTENDED NON-BLEEPED VERSION HERE: https://www.newsflare.com//video/176071/travel/pilot-captures-terrifying-moment-plane-crash-lands

Father/Son and Girlfriend enroute from Va Beach to Birmingham for Thanksgiving with family. 3 hour smooth flight, 20 miles east of Bham #2 rod bearing fails, piston rod blows thru the engine case, oil on windscreen, white smoke in cockpit Father declares mayday, son videos 4 minutes and 44 seconds of glide, approach, touchdown in a "small" field, and roll out into trees at the south end of the field. brought to a stop by a large tree, door flies off, iPhone follows door, all 3 get out, minor injuries....go to have thanksgiving dinner with family and are most thankful. for the skill of Father....retired Naval Aviator and Test Pilot....who also teaches with the american bonanza society