Daijiworld Media Network – North Carolina

North Carolina, Aug 4: A single-engine aircraft crash-landed in the ocean near Oak Island Pier late Saturday evening, triggering a swift multi-agency rescue operation that saved the life of the pilot—the only person on board.

The plane went down around 7:30 pm near 705 Ocean Drive, according to North Carolina officials. Witnesses fishing off the pier watched in disbelief as the aircraft descended into the water. “Oh my God, a plane just crashed into the ocean, it’s going down,” one witness was heard exclaiming, WRAL News reported.

Rescue vessels from the Oak Island Beach Safety Unit, already in the vicinity following an earlier water rescue call, reached the scene within minutes. The pilot was pulled from the sinking aircraft and treated onshore for non-life-threatening injuries by emergency medical responders.

Multiple agencies, including the US Coast Guard, Brunswick County EMS, Southport Fire Department, Oak Island Police and Fire Departments, and Caswell Beach Police, assisted in the dramatic rescue effort. The aircraft was later recovered and towed from the ocean.

While the cause of the crash remains unknown, officials confirmed that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched an investigation. The FAA is expected to release preliminary findings in the coming days.

This incident follows a deadly air accident earlier in January, when a US Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet collided near Reagan National Airport, marking one of the worst aviation tragedies since 2001.