Miami-Dade homicide detectives have opened an investigation into the case of a passenger who apparently fell to his death into a mangrove forest from the open rear door of a Piper Malibu last Thursday.
The pilot called for help, radioing "mayday, mayday, mayday" and telling air traffic controllers that a door was open and a passenger had fallen from his airplane. The Malibu then returned for a landing at Tamiami Executive Airport in South Florida.
Police on Monday confirmed they had recovered the body of 42-year-old Gerardo Nales. An autopsy was performed but no official cause of death was given. The FAA said the Piper single was flying at about 2,000 feet eight miles southeast of the Tamiami Airport when the incident occurred.
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