Plane goes down in ocean off Florida beach
HAULOVER BEACH, Fla. -- The quick action of a good Samaritan helped save the lives of two people after a plane went down near Haulover Beach on Tuesday morning, CBS Miami reports.
The good Samaritan notified U.S. Coast Guard officials around 11:30 a.m. saying the single propeller engine plane had crashed and was sinking 40-feet away from the beach.
CBS Miami's Chopper 4 was over the scene at Haulover Cut near 108th Street and Collins Avenue.
The Piper single engine plane was seen underwater as authorities were near it.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials said two men were on board the plane at the time it went down, but were not injured in the crash.
Lifeguards told CBS Miami that the men were student pilots who had engine trouble and tried to land on the beach but landed in the water instead.
They also said the two men were on the wing of the floating plane when they rescued them. One was brought in on a board and the other on a buoy.
A witness said the plane sunk in under two minutes.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a statement on the incident saying in part, "A Piper PA 28 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean 8 miles east of Opa Locka, FL today at 11:47 am...The FAA will investigate and the NTSB will determine the probable cause"
The plane operates out of Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, according to FAA records. The registered owner is listed as Growl Inc. out of Merritt Island in Brevard County.