Local
Engine failure brings Hickory couple’s flight down near Whiteville; both dogs survive
Dustin and Autumn Davis and their two dogs survived after their Piper PA-32 went down in wooded area south of Whiteville. The couple was treated for minor injuries as investigators examine what caused the engine failure.
A Hickory couple and their two dogs survived a plane crash in a wooded area south of Whiteville after their single-engine aircraft lost power during a flight to the coast, according to an account published Oct. 21, 2026.
Dustin and Autumn Davis were flying from Hickory to Ocean Isle Beach in a Piper PA-32 when the engine began sputtering and then stopped, Dustin said. The couple tried to reach Columbus County Regional Airport but could not make it there before the plane went down.
Dustin recalled that the cabin fell quiet as the emergency unfolded. When Autumn asked what she could do, he told her to pray and hope they could find a place to land, he said.
The Davises and their dogs made it out of the wreckage. The couple was taken to a hospital with minor injuries; the report did not give details about the dogs’ condition beyond confirming they survived.
Investigators are working to determine the cause of the crash. No further details about the aircraft’s condition or the investigation were provided.