BOLIVAR, Texas -- A pilot could be in big trouble after flying a plane just feet above people at a beach, KPRC-TV in Houston reported.

Saturday was supposed to be a beautiful day at the beach for Terry Rodery, his wife and his friends, all of whom belong to a local Jeep club.

But instead, Rodery said it got ugly and downright scary.

"I seen a plane approaching and it was very low and he continued to get lower," said Rodery.

He said that out of nowhere, a Diamond plane started waving its wings at people on the beach.

"My first initial reaction was he's about to crash. At one point he was about 15 to 20 feet off of the beach itself," said Rodery.

KPRC-TV obtained snapshots taken by people on Crystal Beach in Bolivar. In them, a single-engine plane is clearly seen swooping close to beachgoers.

"Professional aviators all over the country are mortified over what they have seen in that video," said Richard Hall, a pilot of more than 20 years.

Pictures and video from that afternoon have made it onto the Internet.

"There is no reason for the actions of that pilot. He was out on a joyride, as near as I can tell," added Hall.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident.

"A lot of folks are concerned about this, and there's clearly a safety concern if someone is flying an aircraft that low. It's reckless," FAA spokesman Lynn Lunsford said.

Rodery said that what's worse is he believes the pilot meant to upset people that day. Rodery said the pilot made eye contact with him and and smiled, as if it were a joke.

"I hope that, at the very minimum, whoever the pilot is, he loses his license to fly," said Rodery.