MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – A pilot who was flying a small banner plane off Miami Beach when it crashed Saturday, told Local 10 News that years of flying experience is likely what saved his life.
Brian Haggerty spent Monday morning filling out Federal Aviation Administration paperwork at the airport in Pembroke Pines.
Haggerty said he was on the last run of a 2-hour banner plane flight when the engine lost power. He said he cut the banner loose while he was 500 feet in the air, and tried to glide to a soft landing, but he didn't have enough air speed to get the nose fully up.
He said he then braced himself for impact.
"It was a violent abrupt stop which was over really quickly," said Haggerty. "And of course with the left window open, the water started pouring in pretty quickly. So I just took a deep breath and within 2 or 3 seconds the cockpit was full. I think the airplane sunk to the wings. So then I was like -- it was like you're on a scuba dive. I just opened the seat belt, got the harness off and then got up and pushed out."
Haggerty suffered a minor cut to his forehead which didn't even need stitches.
Fortunately, when he pushed out, a man with a jet ski on the beach took him out of the water and took him quickly to shore.
Haggerty is a retired Air Force pilot and a retired commercial pilot for American Airlines. He credits his training for his survival, but admits he is lucky he didn't black out when he hit the water. He said he is also fortunate that he had the left window open so he could climb out.
"Well I feel fortunate but I'm sad about losing the airplane, like I said I been flying 48 years and I've never put a scratch on an airplane," said Haggerty.
Mechanics are still trying to determine why the engine failed in mid-flight. It was recently rebuilt and had roughly 100 hours of flight time.
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