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 The call for help came Thursday afternoon, when the pilot of a
Piper PA 46 aircraft radioed "mayday, mayday, mayday," and told an
air traffic controller that a door was ajar and a passenger had
fallen from the plane.
Crews from U.S. Coast Guard, Miami-Dade Police and Miami-Dade Fire
Rescue searched into the evening. It wasn't clear Friday morning
which agencies would resume the search.
FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said the call came at 1:30 p.m.
Thursday. The plane was flying at about 2,000 feet when the call
came in.
Crews began searching an area about eight miles southeast of Tamiami
Executive Airport, south of Miami, where the plane safely landed. It
wasn't immediately clear where the flight originated or how many
people were on board.
Police spokesman Javier Baez says they have no evidence of foul
play, and are gathering as much evidence as possible.
Both the Coast Guard and fire rescue officials say they had not
determined if the call was legitimate.
According to a report on the website Live ATC.Net, the unidentified
pilot calmly radioed the air traffic controller. LiveATC.Net
provides live air traffic-control broadcasts from control towers and
radar facilities around the world.
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"I have a door ajar and a passenger that fell down. I'm 6 miles
from Tamiami," the pilot says.
"You said you've got a passenger that fell out of your plane?" the
air traffic controller responds.
"That's correct, sir," the pilot responds. "He opened the back door
and he just fell out the plane."
[Associated
Press; CURT ANDERSON]
Copyright 2013 The Associated
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