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Man who reportedly fell from plane off Florida coast identified, search continues for body: officials
Thursday, 11.14.13

Gerardo Nales, 42, either fell or jumped from an open door on the single-prop plane as it neared Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airport on Thursday. Authorities believe Nales, who plummeted about 2,000 feet into the Biscayne Bay without a parachute, is dead as they continue to search for his body

The pilot’s call for help was calm, but his message was stunning:

“Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! I have a door ajar and I’m heading toward Tamiami,” he said Thursday as he flew over the Atlantic.

Then, “I have a door ajar and a passenger that fell down.”

“You said you’ve got a passenger that fell out of your plane?” the air traffic controller asked.

“That’s correct, sir,” the pilot responded. “He opened the backdoor and he just fell down the plane.”

The pilot’s 1:30 p.m. emergency call from 2,000 feet in the air Thursday set off a frantic, hours-long search for someone who either fell or jumped into waters east of Key Biscayne. The search by Miami-Dade police, fire rescue and the U.S. Coast Guard ended Thursday night without success.

Passenger Falls Out of Plane Off Florida Coast - ABC News

Miami-Dade police to resume search for passenger who fell out of plane - Miami-Dade - MiamiHerald.com


Passenger Falls Out of Plane Off Florida Coast
Nov. 14, 2013

PHOTO: Miami-Dade Police surround a private plane at the Tamiami Airport as part of their investigation into how a man reportedly fell out of the aircraft while in-flight.
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A passenger fell out of small plane and plummeted into the water in Miami's Biscayne Bay today, police said.

The plane was flying at 1,800 feet at the time.

Air traffic control received a "mayday" call around 1:30 p.m. ET when the Piper PA 46 was flying roughly eight miles southeast of Tamiami Executive Airport.

"Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! I have a door ajar and I'm heading toward Tamiami," the pilot told air traffic control. "I have a door ajar and a passenger that fell down. I'm six miles from Tamiami."

"You said you've got a passenger that fell out of your plane?" the air traffic controller asks the pilot.

"That's correct, sir. He opened the backdoor and he just fell out the plane," said the unidentified pilot.

The aircraft continued onto Tamiami Airport and landed.