Air Force Reservists Rescue 11 Plane Crash Survivors After 5 Hours Adrift Off Florida
Updated
Updated · NBC News · May 13
Air Force Reservists Rescue 11 Plane Crash Survivors After 5 Hours Adrift Off Florida
11 articles · Updated · NBC News · May 13
Eleven survivors were found in a raft 80 miles off Melbourne, Florida, after a plane crashed at sea Tuesday, with Air Force reservists reaching them during a training mission.
An emergency locator transmitter beacon led rescuers to the group, who had no way to call for help and did not know rescue had arrived until aircraft flew overhead.
Five hours in the water left the survivors visibly distressed, and crews dropped food, water and basic survival gear while battling choppy seas and fuel limits before extraction.
The aircraft had been flying from the Bahamas when it went down in rough weather near thunderstorms, and the survivors were later taken to Melbourne and evaluated at Holmes Regional Medical Center.
What caused a 20-minute flight to crash in the Atlantic, and how did all 11 people on board survive?
Investigators suspect engine failure. How did the pilot ditch the plane so successfully that all 11 people were rescued alive?
Beyond the rescue, what does this crash reveal about the dangers of flying through Florida's unpredictable weather patterns?