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Pilot: Panicking Didn't Cross My Mind

MIAMI BEACH (CBSMiami) - The pilot of a plane that lost power off Miami Beach Saturday afternoon said he had just 20 seconds to prepare to land in the water.

Brian Haggerty spoke to CBS4's Maggie Newland about the emergency in the air.  He said he was nearly done with his two hour flight towing a banner over the ocean when suddenly the plane had engine trouble.

Watch Maggie Newland's report, click here.

"I had about two more loops to do and everything was going well, and then the engine started to falter and I pushed the throttle up and then it completely quit," said Haggerty.  "It's about 20 seconds between engine first faltering until I was in the water."

He said the plane was about 900 feet offshore in the area of 4778 Collins Avenue.

With so little time, Haggerty knew he had to make every second count.

"I was very methodical," he explained, adding, "In our training, first thing you do is get rid of the banner. Then you try to get the engine started. If you can't get it restarted you have to get ready for the impact."

He said he checked the water below to make sure there were no boats in the area then called on the radio. "The engine quit. I'm going in the water," he said.

The impact was so violent it startled sunbathers on the shore.

"It sounded like thunder," said Carolyn Kent. "We heard this huge crash; we looked over and half the plane was already in the water just the tail end sticking out."

"It was like somebody threw a concrete block at you," said Haggerty. "It was 'smack' and it was done and then the water started gushing in and I took a deep breath and go 'Ok now I've got to get out of this thing.'"

Haggerty managed to get out through an open window and inflate his life jacket. He started swimming toward shore, but didn't have to go far

George Daly was working on the beach when he saw the plane go down. "I got on a Jet Ski and went out there the pilot was already out of the plane, he had a floating device on," said Daly.  "I asked him if there was anybody else on the plane, he said no."

Daly brought Haggerty to shore as the crowd on the beach applauded.  The scene was captured on cell phone video.

The plane is registered to Aerial Banners Inc. in Pembroke Pines.   The company is investigating what caused the plane to lose power and is working with the FAA.

Although the plane landed in one piece, the company says it was destroyed as it was being towed into shore. Haggerty said he's sad to see what happened to the the plane. He says it was made to fly in the Korean war and it's irreplaceable, but he's thankful the only injury he has is a cut to the head.

"That and my foolish pride are the only injuries," he joked.   He credits his decades of flying experience with his ability to handle the emergency.  He was a Lt. Colonel with the Air Force during Vietnam and worked as a captain for American Airlines before he retired and began flying for Aerial Banners.   He said all his training kicked in immediately. "Panicking didn't cross my mind."

What happened Saturday won't stop him from flying in the future.  In fact, he promised he'll back in the air later this week.

"I've flown 48 years and never scratched an airplane. This was the first, hopefully the last occurrence for me."

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