Video: Small Plane Crashes Into Ocean Near North Carolina, Pilot Survives

A small, single-engine aircraft made an emergency water landing in the ocean near Oak Island Pier late Saturday evening, prompting immediate rescue attempts that saved the only person on board - the pilot.

The plane plunged into the ocean at approximately 7:30 pm off the coast near 705 Ocean Drive, according to local North Carolina officials.

The Oak Island Beach Safety Unit rushed rescue vessels already in the area after a previous water rescue request, WECT reported.

Watch the video here:

Small plane has crashed into the ocean"

"" near Oak island NC . pic.twitter.com/AoqQh4RloQ

— ????Robert The Builder ???????? (@NobodymrRobert) August 3, 2025

"Oh my God, a plane just crashed into the ocean, it's going down," a witness fishing off the pier said as the aircraft appeared to gradually sink into the water, per WRAL News.

Emergency medical workers treated the pilot for non-life-threatening injuries after rescuers arrived at the downed aircraft, pulled him to safety, and brought him ashore. The pilot was the only person on board, according to officials.

Besides the US Coast Guard and Brunswick County EMS, local authorities confirmed that the Beach Safety Unit, Southport Fire Department, Oak Island Police and Fire Departments, Caswell Beach Police, and other agencies assisted with the rescue effort, Oak Island reported.

The aircraft was later retrieved and towed from the water. The town praised mutual-aid partners for their prompt response and postponed additional updates as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) leads the ongoing inquiry into the cause of the incident.

It remains to be determined whether a pilot emergency, technical failure, or other circumstances caused the water landing. Following the FAA's announcement of its preliminary results, more information is expected.

Earlier, in January, a US Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional passenger jet collided midair, close to Reagan Washington National Airport, making it one of the deadliest plane crashes since 2001.