Is Found Body Passenger Who Fell Out of Plane?

Saturday, a body found near Miami has authorities wondering if it could have been a man who fell out of a small plane on Thursday. The body, which was found late Thursday morning could be a 42 year old passenger who fell out of the plane, but investigators are still trying to make an official identication. The office of the Medical Examiner is working on that, according to the Miami-Dad Police Department. Searchers were trying to locate the man, who is from Key Biscayne, because the pilot had sent out a distress call after the man apparently opened the back door and fell.

The distress call that had come from the pilot said that a passenger had fallen out. “I have a door ajar,” the pilot said on the radio. He was piloting a single engine Piper PA-46. The pilot was flying at about 1800 feet when the man fell out of the plane. He was the only person board the plane besides the pilot. The search began immediately after the pilot had alerted air traffic control, and they in turn had alerted various authorities. Of course, an 1800 foot fall would almost certainly kill anyone so it is likely that authorities were looking for a body rather than for a person that was still alive.

Authorities were still unclear as to whether this was an accident or if it was some kind of weird suicide attempt. However, they have homicide detectives involved, although authorities stress that this is just procedure when there is a body involved. The plane and the pilot landed at Kendall-Tamiami airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. If the body that they have found turns out not to be the man who fell out of the plane then it is very likely that the search will continue, but with such a vast area to cover, it is unclear as to whether or not the body will be found.