Pilot Jose Basulto: Good Afternoon, Havana Center. November 2506 greets you. Please, we are crossing parallel 24 in five minutes and we will remain in your area about three to four hours.
Havana Center: Received.
Basulto: For your information, Havana Center, our area of operations are north of Havana today. So we will be in your area and in contact with you. A cordial greeting from Brothers to the Rescue and its President Jose Basulto, who is speaking to you.
Havana Center: OK. Received, sir. I inform you that the zone north of Havana is active. You run danger by penetrating that side of north parallel 24.
Basulto: We are aware of the danger each time we cross the area south of 24 but we are willing to do it. It is our right as free Cubans.
Havana Center: Then, we copy information, sir.
Basulto: Thank you.
Arnaldo Iglesias, passenger on Basultos plane: Do you want to shoot a [video] closeup? Alright.
Pilot Carlos Costa: Mike (Mario de la Peqa) is staying around 82-30 (longitude).
Basulto: Take east, no, not east, but a little more, a little slanted.
Basulto: Havana Center. November two five zero six.
Basulto: Cordial greeting. We report 12 miles north of Havana continuing our course of search and rescue eastward at this moment. A beautiful day -- Havana looks great from where we are. A cordial greeting to you and to all the people of Cuba on behalf of Brothers to the Rescue.
Havana Center: Havana received.
(Several minutes pass, until some of the Brothers pilots sight Cuban Mig fighters.)
Iglesias: They are going to shoot!
Basulto: Theyre going to shoot at us!
Sylvia Iriondo, a Basulto passenger: Theyre going to shoot at us?
Basulto: They shot at us. Is that a flare?
Basulto: We have a MiG, we have MiGs around us.
Costa: Theres a MiG in the air. Bogie in the air. Where are you?
Basulto: I know. The bogie is north of us at this time, and they dropped a flare apparently to take reference from.
de la Pena: Seagull Charlie. Seagull Mike. (A call for response from Costa)
de la Pena: Charlie. Mike.
Basulto: Negative.
de la Pena: Whats your position? Seagull Mike is two three three zero, eight two two nine.
Iglesias: Were at two three two five, eight two two zero.
Iglesias: Seagull Charlie. Seagull Charlie.
Basulto: Seagull Charlie, are you with us?
Basulto: Seagull Mike, are you with us?
de la Pena: Yes sir.
(Both pilots continue attempts to contact Costa. There is no answer.)
Male voice: Oh, shit.
Male voice: Whos there?
Basulto: Seagull Mike. Seagull One.
de la Pena: Im here. Have you heard from Charlie?
Basulto: Negative.
Basulto: Do you see that smoke to my left?
de la Pena: I dont see anything now. I did see smoke.
Basulto: Do you see smoke below the MiG?
de la Pena: I didnt see the MiG. I saw smoke and a flare.
Basulto: I saw the MiG and I saw smoke. I dont know whether it was a flare.
Iglesias: Yes it was a flare.
Basulto: With a chute?
Iglesias: Yes.
Basulto: Seagull Charlie. Seagull One.
Basulto: OK, were looking at another flare...another ball of smoke.
Basulto: Charlie, is that you?
Basulto: Seagull Mike.
Basulto: Seagull Mike. Seagull One.
Iglesias: Call Charlie and see if he answers.
Basulto: Seagull Charlie. Seagull Charlie.
Basulto: Seagull Mike.
Iglesias: The other thing is to try to call the Coast Guard to go check the smoke and see what it is.
Male voice: Lets go to the boat over there.
(More attempts to get a response from de la Peqa.)
Male voice: Well, it looks like we have to get the hell out of here.
Basulto: Mike. One.
Iglesias: You have everything turned off?
Basulto: (answering a query, probably from Miami center) No sir, Im proceeding on my own navigation to Opa-locka. I have no emergency aboard my aircraft. The emergency is with the two fallen aircraft. I am proceeding to Opa-locka.
Basulto: (answering another query) Roger, sir, Roger. We are inbound
Opa-locka about 30 miles west of Key West at this time, and we are
reporting a possible emergency with two aircraft. The emergency is two
overdue aircraft that we think we have lost some 30 miles North of
Havana. Thats Brothers to the Rescue. Two aircraft. Smoke was seen in
the vicinity of the area where we were tracking north of us, and we
also saw two MiGs in the air.
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