Pilot, passenger ok after small plane crash

VIRGINIA KEY, FLA. (WSVN) - A aviator and a rider are shaken but not wounded aft their tiny level plunged into the water adjacent Virginia Key, authorities said.

Cellphone video captured the Cessna 172 Skyhawk floating successful the water, Thursday night.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the craft had taken disconnected from Miami Executive Airport astatine 6:36 p.m.

Shortly after, investigators said the aviator was forced to marque an exigency landing astir 8 miles southeast of Miami.

7News learned determination was a bicyclist successful the country who spotted the level and called authorities.

“We recovered a Cessna level astir 20 feet disconnected shore,” said City of Miami Fire Rescue Lt. Pete Sanchez.

Fortunately, some the aviator and the rider were capable to locomotion distant unharmed.

The aviator told authorities helium started having problems with the craft astir 40 minutes aft takeoff.

“He was flying with a passenger, and helium began to acquisition motor trouble,” said Sanchez.

The Cessna landed adjacent Virginia Key Beach Park, officials said.

“He did accidental it was a mechanical failure, and helium safely made an exigency landing, and luckily, neither of them were injured,” said Sanchez.

Paramedics checked retired the aviator and the rider astatine the scene.

“The chemoreceptor of the level began to thin forward, taking successful h2o arsenic it did erstwhile it landed, but past it leveled itself out,” said Sanchez. “They began to marque their mode retired of the plane, and Miami Ocean Rescue got into the h2o and assisted them onto land.”

Both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating, but the NTSB is successful complaint of the investigation.

Officials person not released the names of the aviator and passenger. 7News has reached retired to the agencies and are waiting for much information.

Authorities volition proceed their probe Friday morning.

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