SOUTHPORT, N.C. (WECT) – The National Transportation Safety Board has released a preliminary report on the single-engine plane crash in Southport on Oct. 15, 2023. The pilot was treated and released from the hospital after his plane crash near Faith Boulevard and Long Beach Road in Southport. Chief Charles Drew with the Southport Fire Department said at the time that he saw the plane lose power shortly after take-off and had to make an emergency landing. The attempt failed when the plane hit a tree and crashed into the ground.