Aircraft Accident on Jay Bird Shoals
We responded to a mutual aid request from Bald Head Island Public Safety regarding an aircraft accident on Jay Bird Shoals, which is essentially a sandbar between Oak Island and Bald Head Island, NC that is only visible near or at low tide. We were dispatched along with United States Coast Guard Station Oak Island, and Southport EMS. A boat from the commercial TowBoat US also responded to the scene to provide assistance.
We launched boat 4490 from the US Coast Guard Station Oak Island boat ramp. That launch team them moved to the beach at the NC Baptist Assembly at Fort Caswell to launch the drone. Other team members positioned Surf-Launch Boat 4491 and Hovercraft 4493 on the beach to be launched if needed.
Upon arrival, we found one aircraft parked on the shoals after landing without incident. The other aircraft appeared to have touched down in very soft, wet sand and as it was slowing down sank deep into the sand causing it to flip, tail over nose, and came to a rest inverted. Each aircraft had one person, the pilot, inside and the pilot of the flipped aircraft received minor injuries. We transported him to the United States Coast Guard Station Oak Island and transferred him to Southport EMS for evaluation.
Several first responders assisted with flipping the aircraft back over onto its wheels, and TowBoat US was planning to deliver pontoons to float the plane before high tide returned and water covered the shoals. The plane that landed without incident was able to takeoff and fly away without further assistance.
