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Pilot, 77, survives water landing after engine fails near Mayport

A 77-year-old man is thankful to be alive after the lone engine in his plane failed during a flight on Friday.

Bart Albert, a pilot with nearly 50 years of experience, was flying his Beechcraft BE-3 from North Carolina to Ormond Beach when he lost power at 4,500 feet.

Albert was pulled from the ocean after he was forced to ditch in the water off Mayport at 11:30 a.m. on Friday.

He radioed in a Mayday call as soon as he began to glide, he said.

"I knew I was going swimming," said Albert, who was picked up by a fisherman and taken to shore. "I landed just like I would land it on pavement. The plane landed nicely. I didn’t even see any impact damage.

"I think it's got some water damage now, don’t you think?"

Albert said after he ditched, a helicopter rescue was nearby.

"I'm happy to be here," Albert said. "I never thought I'd do this. Go figure. I was just happy. Nothing but a few belongings down the drain. I'm OK."

Albert said he was only in the water for about five minutes. His plane is a total loss, he said.

"I'm just happy it worked out the way it did. The plane is gone, but it’s just a thing," Albert said.