The incident occurred around 7:30 p.m.

The pilot of the small plane, who was only person travelling in it, survived the crash.

According to local media reports, he suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

The plane has been recovered and towed out of the water.

Town officials say the beach safety unit was already in the area, having just performed water rescues and were able to quickly retrieve the pilot, reported WECT.

The witness, who was fishing on the pier, can be heard saying as she records as quoted  by WRAL News, "Oh my God, a plane just crashed into the ocean, it's going down."

An investigation into the incident is currently ongoing.

The US has witnessed several aviation accidents in the current year.

Earlier in January,  a US Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional passenger jet collided midair in Washington DC, leaving 67 peopel dead.