North Carolina pilot and wife survive plane crash after engine failure

A pilot and his wife survived a dramatic emergency landing in Columbus County, North Carolina, after their single-engine Piper PA-32 suffered engine failure during a night flight on October 7.

Dustin Davis, a pilot from Hickory, reported that the aircraft lost power at approximately 7,500 feet while traveling toward Ocean Isle Beach. After determining the nearest airport was unreachable, Davis executed a maneuver to bleed speed before the aircraft struck a wooded area. The belly of the plane absorbed the impact, leaving the aircraft suspended in trees just six feet above the ground.

The couple, along with their two dogs, Sophie and Royce, exited the wreckage quickly due to fears of a post-crash fire caused by leaking fuel. Both individuals escaped with minor injuries, including a black eye for Davis and neck and back soreness for his wife, Autumn.