# NTSB ERA25LA289: Jabiru Aircraft PTY J230-D, N784J, Oak Island, NC, August 2, 2025

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Preliminary report
- Date: August 2, 2025, 19:25 local (23:25 UTC)
- Place: Oak Island, NC
- Coordinates: 33.900748, -78.07954 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.9007&lon=-78.0795&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Enroute: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341)
- Highest injury: Minor injuries
- Injuries: 1 minor
- Status: Investigation ongoing
- Investigation class: Class 3
- NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties: FAA/FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 200715
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA25LA289
- NTSB preliminary report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/200715/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25LA289

## Preliminary report

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.

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Enroute: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Jabiru Aircraft PTY J230-D, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=0690012), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md)

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N784J](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N784J), registered now, S/N 980, built 2022 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: JABIRU AIRCRAFT PTY LTD J230-D
- Registry model: [Jabiru Aircraft PTY J230-D](https://openairdocs.org/model/jabiru-aircraft-pty-j230-d) (registry code 0690012) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Jabiru 3300L](https://openairdocs.org/engine/jabiru-3300l) (registry code 34811, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 980
- Year built: 2022
- Airframe hours: 285
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection: Condition, April 20, 2025, 20 hours before
- Departed: SUT, Oak Island, NC
- Airport: SUT, Cape Fear Rgnl Jetport/Howie Franklin Fld
- Equipment: ADS-B, Angle of attack indicator, Auto-pilot, Stall warning system, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, Data recorder

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 360° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: 10,000 ft overcast
- Temperature: 77 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter: 30.08 inHg
- Observed at: SUT, 2 nm away
- METAR: KSUT 022325Z AUTO 36008KT 10SM OVC100 25/19 A3008 RMK AO2

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20250802010819A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250802010819A), Aug 2, 2025: Jabiru Aircraft Pty Ltd J230-D, Oak Island, NC, Substantial damage. On August 2nd, 2025, at approximately 1915 EDT (2315Z) [privacy data omitted], departed cape fear regional jetport, Oak Island NC, on runway 05 for a short…

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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