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American Morning

Pilot Discusses Rescue off Russian Far East

Aired July 09, 2001 - 11:31   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: We told you about the trip around the world that almost ended for disaster for an American pilot and three Japanese passengers. What had happened was there was engine trouble that forced them to abandon the plane and spend 15 hours waiting to be rescued in the rough waters of Russia's sea.

We've got that pilot on the phone with us now. Mike Smith joins us.

Mike, first of all, it's amazing, your story. I want you to give us the full details. We're looking at videotape of your excited face. Tell us, first, what happened. Take us inside your cockpit and set the scene for us.

MIKE SMITH, PILOT: Well, we had entered about 200 to 300 miles into Russian airspace that they use. I was at 8,100 meters, which translates to about 26,300 feet. I had noticed a vibration in the aircraft the last couple flights, but I just couldn't put my finger on it. I didn't know exactly what it was.

All of a sudden, I got this strange vibration, and then about four seconds later, the engine went into what they call an overspeed, an overtemperature. It's basically a runaway. Either the fuel control unit or something has gone wrong with it. Where the maximum temperature is normally 800 degrees turbine temperature, it's gone up to 1,144 degrees, so it's basically destroying itself, and it was starting to go into what they call compressor stall.

I tried to reduce the power, and no effect, so my only other option was to go ahead and shut my only engine down, my one and only. I went ahead and secured the engine, and the propeller did feather, which makes much less drag on the aircraft. But then it was the realization that I was going to be ditching in pretty hostile waters as far as conditions went.

As I started down, I...

PHILLIPS: Mike, did it take a nose dive? Is that what happened? Did you submerge?

SMITH: Not a nose dive. I am now, basically, a glider, a powerless glider. The aircraft is excellent in powered-off flight. I just reduce the speed to about 100 miles an hour. I was descending at a rate of about 500 feet a minute. So I did the normal things. I made a Mayday call, and a Delta flight inbound to Tokyo responded. And I relayed my position, and he said that he would relay that message to Tokyo control, who, in effect, would relay that to Russian control.

At that point, I had also lost pressurization, so the oxygen mask came on for the passengers and myself, and I started activating the emergency locater transmitter. I put an emergency code in the aircraft transponder, for radar identification, and started to plan what I was going to do next.

As I passed through about 15,000 feet, I took the oxygen mask off, and I told the passengers to go ahead get into their immersion suits. These are thick neoprine suits that cover you from head to toe.

PHILLIPS: Mike, hold that thought. We're going to take a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: We're bringing pilot Mike Smith back with us, who is telling us about this trip around the world that he was taking when his plane went down and how he was rescued.

Mike, tell me how you and the three Japanese passengers were rescued? Did you egress from the aircraft, or did you stay inside the aircraft until you were rescued?

SMITH: No, we egressed from the aircraft. As I came down, there was a fog bank and heavy seas, and I only had about a few seconds to pick a spot in the ocean where the white caps were on a peeking wave, and I put the tail in first, and then the aircraft came to a sudden stop. And we didn't know if the aircraft was intact or what the conditions, but I had informed the passengers to be ready to jump out.

We exited the main board cabin door, and I put the raft out, inflated it, and then we all jumped out for the life raft. Then we just floated for 15 hours. We saw a number of ships, and I set off a couple of flares, but it was daylight, and the flares were of no use. The life raft did not have an emergency locater transmitter or a beacon in the raft.

So when the sun set, reality really started to set in for all of us, but the only thing I could think of was to keep a positive outlook, because I had hoped that somebody was going to see us.

Through the night, hypothermia was starting to set in even in those immersion suits. The life raft was much too small for four people. So I just sat on the edge and bailed water out as water coming into the raft, for about 15 hours -- and it's showing now: Every muscle in my body is screaming at me right now. I'm a little bit sore.

About 2:00 in the morning, I put the cover over all of us so we could retain energy in the life raft. I was just kind of laying there, and I could hear a faint sound -- I wouldn't sure what it was. So I asked the other passenger, What is that sound. He said it's way far away, so I don't think it's anything. Is it a plane or what?

Anyway, I came out from underneath the cover, and there was the most beautiful Russian container ship, in the dark, and it was in perfect spot for me to set off the first of four flares. And I set the first one off, and the ship took a turn towards me, and the next three flares were right on me. And the captain skillfully maneuvered the ship around me three times, to slow down, and then may maneuvered the ship in a position so that the wind would drift us into the side of the ship. They threw us a lifeline and brought us on board.

PHILLIPS: Mike, you definitely practiced what you learned in aviation training, and that is not to panic and utilize your emergency devices.

We congratulations you and the safety of the three passengers -- quite a heroic move.

Before we let you go, are you going to continue this trip? Are you going to fly again?

SMITH: Absolutely. I would do this tomorrow if I wasn't quite as sore. It was a chance of a lifetime. Unfortunately, I didn't make the world trip, but I think I accomplished much.

PHILLIPS: Mike Smith, thanks so much.

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