Pilot Rescued After Engine Failure in Water Landing Off Oak Island

Mark Finkelstein, a veteran pilot with 17 years of experience, was pulled from his single-engine aircraft after it suffered engine failure and flipped during an emergency water landing off Oak Island Pier on the evening of Aug. 2, local authorities said. The plane went down in the Atlantic roughly 13 minutes after takeoff from Cape Fear Regional Jetport, and bystanders and rescue crews rushed to recover the pilot from a mostly submerged cabin.

According to a statement from the Oak Island Fire Department, Finkelstein began experiencing a loss of engine power about 7:30 p.m. and could not return to the airport. He said the beach near the pier appeared too crowded to attempt a shore landing, so he attempted to ditch in the water. Video of the incident shows the aircraft skidding across the surface and tumbling forward before settling upright with its nose down and most of the fuselage submerged.

Rescue units that were already in the area responding to a separate water call played a critical role in the fast recovery, officials said. Members of the Oak Island Beach Safety Unit, the Southport Fire Department and Oak Island Water Rescue reached the plane within minutes, entered the...