Authorities in New Jersey say a banner plane went into the sea off the coast of Surf City, but the pilot was pulled to shore.
An NBC10 viewer captured video of the plane hitting the water at about 3:30 p.m.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the Cessna 150 landed in the ocean off the 13th Street beach in the Long Beach Island municipality at about 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
The pilot ditched the banner around 5th Street before the plane hit the water and sank into the ocean, Surf City Police told NBC10. The city beach patrol said two lifeguards helped the pilot out of the plane. A crowd had gathered along the shore to watch the pilot come to shore, and cheered when he stepped onto the sand.
He was taken to Southern Ocean Medical Center with minor injuries.
The FAA said it would investigate and the National Transportation Safety Board would work to determine the probable cause of the accident. The plane can be removed from the water once NTSB clears the scene, and it will be sent to salvage.
