'The engine just went silent': Then, this B.C. pilot had 3 minutes to react

Courtney Dickson · CBC News

· Posted: May 10, 2025 9:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

For much than a month, Canadian aviator Michael MacDonald had taken a marine biologist connected regular flights implicit Mexico's Gulf of California, surveying the oversea for wildlife. 

Thirty-three of those flights went smoothly. About 3 hours into the 34th, things went south. 

MacDonald, who is present harmless astatine location successful Burnaby, B.C., is recounting the seconds, minutes and hours aft helium realized the motor successful his tiny craft had quit, and however acold helium and his rider were from land. 

The brace were soaring astatine astir 457 metres supra the ocean, conscionable debased capable truthful they could spot each kinds of whales, orcas, dolphins and turtles, connected April 18.

Three hours into the four-hour flight, "the motor conscionable went silent," MacDonald recalled. 

"I conscionable instantly turned near 90 degrees, due to the fact that that was the closest to the land," helium told Gloria Macarenko, the big of CBC's On The Coast. 

WATCH | Michael MacDonald details the infinitesimal helium realized his level was crashing:

They were astir 11 kilometres distant from the shore, and falling astir 150 metres per minute, MacDonald said. 

"Three minutes is each we had near to play with."

He spent astir 90 seconds trying to fig retired what had gone incorrect successful the four-seater Cessna 182. When thing worked, helium knew they were going to deed the water. 

MacDonald, 47, has been flying since 2012, and the process astir what to bash successful the lawsuit of a clang landing has been drilled into him. 

"We speech astir it a lot, astir the anticipation of ditching," helium said. "Every time we spell implicit a briefing and retrieve however to bash this procedure, that process and marque definite that we cognize what we're doing."

MacDonald, 47, passed a pillow to his rider truthful she could screen her look to support herself from debris. 

They tightened their harnesses and prepared for impact. 

MacDonald remembers trying to navigate the large swells successful the ocean.

"When I inactive thought I was a fewer feet disconnected the water, it felt similar thing reached up and grabbed america and conscionable pulled america into the water," helium said. 

"We went caput archetypal and flipped over, instantly blew retired the windshield, and h2o came rushing in."

Having already opened his door, MacDonald unbuckled his harness and rolled retired the broadside of the aircraft, swallowing oversea h2o arsenic helium moved. 

"It was a spot of a punch to the face. It was benignant of a surreal feeling. It was truthful sudden."

He turned to spot his rider struggling to get retired of the harness, and h2o was up to her chin. He reminded her to unbuckle, and arsenic helium swam toward her, she was capable to escaped herself. 

Fortunately, they were wearing self-inflating vests. MacDonald pointed retired however important it was that they hold until they were successful the h2o and retired of the level to propulsion the cord. 

"You could beryllium floating wrong the airplane arsenic it's sinking, and you can't aquatics down to the doorway to get out."

MacDonald helped the rider get her vest inflated with comparative ease. But erstwhile helium pulled the cord to inflate his own, thing happened. 

In a infinitesimal of carnal and affectional strain, wherever maintaining a dependable enactment is already a batch to ask, MacDonald had to stroke his vest up himself. 

"I blew into the small reddish conduit that filled it up. I've been playing bagpipes for years, truthful it each came into practice."

Shortly after, helium felt a vibration connected his thigh. His phone, an iPhone 15 with an OtterBox case, was ringing underwater. He cautiously pulled it out, dried it, and spoke to idiosyncratic from his administrative bureau who had received an alert that thing mightiness beryllium wrong. 

"I couldn't perceive thing initially, truthful I conscionable started talking into the phone." 

He gave his location: 7 miles eastbound of Punta and 10 miles southeast of Isla Cerralvo.  

"Then I went soundless and I could hear, wide arsenic a bell: 'I'm already talking to rescue.'" 

And past helium instantly mislaid reception. The telephone itself inactive worked, truthful helium was capable to instrumentality immoderate photos and video of his harrowing acquisition portion helium and the rider waited for much than 2 hours.

While helium was assured a rescue squad would come, helium said his marine biologist rider wasn't truthful sure. He made it his ngo to person her they were going to beryllium OK. 

Both MacDonald and the rider were rescued without incident. 

Since then, MacDonald said helium and the rider person bonded implicit the shared experience. 

"She's my small sister now."

The lone clip he's been connected a level since the ordeal was connected the formation location to B.C. respective days later. 

He said helium paid a small person attraction to the information objection from the formation attendants. 

"I thought, OK, I cognize wherever my exits are," helium said.  

"I conjecture that's the connection going forward. Everybody who gets connected an airplane, wage attention."