Report from Florida confirms that Police expanded their search Friday for a man who either
jumped or fell from a small plane as it flew off the Florida coast near Miami.
According to the report, the pilot of the single-engine Piper PA-46 aircraft called
air traffic controllers Thursday afternoon to say his passenger -- the only
other person on board the flight -- had fallen out of the plane.
"He opened the back door and he just fall down the plane,"
the pilot said, according to a recording of the conversation.
The pilot said he was flying at 1,800 feet about two miles
from the shore when the man fell. Authorities identified the man as Gerardo
Nales, a 42-year-old man from Key Biscayne, Florida.
After searching until dark Thursday, authorities resumed
their efforts early Friday, expanding the search area based on currents and
weather conditions, police said.
Police think it's unlikely Nales could have survived the
fall. They're describing the search as a recovery mission.
A police spokeswoman said it was unclear whether Nales
accidentally fell out of the plane or deliberately jumped.
Investigators questioned the 47-year-old pilot but did not
release his name. Homicide detectives also are involved, as they are in all
death investigations, Miami-Dade police spokeswoman Sgt. Robin Pinkard said.
The pilot first told air traffic controllers that a door was
open on the plane, then added that a passenger had fallen out.
"I have a door ajar," he said, "and a
passenger that fell down."
The Piper PA-46 a private plane, went on to land safely
at Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
Baez declined to say whether the owner of the plane was on the flight.
No comments:
Post a Comment