NC pilot ditches small plane in ocean near Oak Island pier, officials say

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — The pilot of a small plane was forced to make an emergency water landing at a North Carolina island Saturday evening, officials said.

The incident was reported at 7:33 p.m. when a single-engine aircraft went down in the ocean, near the Oak Island Pier at 705 Ocean Drive, according to an Oak Island news release.

The pilot was the only person aboard the plane and was quickly rescued by Oak Island’s Beach Safety Unit, which was already nearby because of a previous water rescue call, the news release said.

During rescue efforts, a person in a lifejacket and a lifeguard could be seen clinging to the plane as it barely floated on the waterline.

The beach unit was able to launch watercraft to retrieve the pilot, officials said. The pilot was treated on shore for non-life-threatening injuries.

The plane was recovered and was towed out of the water Saturday night. Aviation 24/7 identified the aircraft as a Jabiru J230-D with N784J as the tail number.

The Federal Aviation Administration is now investigating the matter.

The Southport Fire Department, Caswell Beach Police Department, the U.S. Coast Guard, and Brunswick County EMS assisted in the call, officials said.