Jabiru Aircraft PTY LTD J230-D accident near Oak Island, North Carolina, August 2, 2025
On August 2, 2025 at about 11:25 pm local time, a 2022 Jabiru Aircraft PTY LTD J230-D, registered N784J, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Oak Island, North Carolina (Cape Fear Rgnl Jetport/Howie F airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 2, 2025 · about 11:25 pm local time
- Place
- Oak Island, North Carolina · Cape Fear Rgnl Jetport/Howie F · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Jabiru Aircraft PTY LTD J230-D, built 2022 · all J230-Ds on the register
- Registration
- N784J · registry record · serial 980
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On August 2, 2025, about 1925 eastern daylight time, a Jabiru Aircraft Pty Ltd J-230-D, N784J, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Oak Island, North Carolina. The private pilot received minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, the airplane had recently undergone lengthy maintenance, and this was the second flight after completion of the repairs. The pilot reported that there were no anomalies noted during the preflight inspection and that the airplane operated normally during startup, taxi, engine runup, and takeoff. During the climb out, the pilot reported the airplane developed momentary “blips” in reduction of engine power that would last less than a second. The pilot stated that he had experienced these momentary drops in power before, but they had always stopped after leveling off the airplane. The pilot leveled off the airplane; however, the momentary power drops continued, and the pilot decided to return to the airport. While over the water, the pilot turned onto the final approach leg to the runway, and the engine began to lose power. The pilot attempted to restore engine power by adjusting throttle settings, turning on the fuel pump, as well as the carburetor heat; however, the engine continued to lose power. The pilot reported that while at 1,400 ft mean sea level and still over the water, he realized he would not reach the airport and that the nearby beach was too crowded with people to make a safe emergency landing. The pilot elected to ditch the airplane into the water near the beach. While lining up for the forced ditching, the engine completely lost power, and the propeller stopped rotating. During the forced ditching, the airplane’s main landing gear impacted the water first, and shortly after, the airplane nosed over into the water. After impact, the airplane began to sink, and the pilot was extricated through the broken windshield by nearby first responders. A postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. The wreckage was retained for further examination.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute defining event
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 285 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, April 20, 2025; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: SUT Oak Island NC at 11:17 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.08 inHg
- Observation at 7:25 pm from SUT, 2 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KSUT 022325Z AUTO 36008KT 10SM OVC100 25/19 A3008 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA25LA289.