PHOENIX — On Monday, the pilot who skillfully used 7th Street as an impromptu runway for an emergency landing gave 12News an exclusive glimpse inside his aircraft and recounted the critical seconds before they touched down.

“It felt like an eternity, but it was really about 45 seconds,” explained the pilot, Mike Tragarz.

Tragarz, along with two passengers, was enjoying a scenic flight over Phoenix when they encountered trouble. Just 20 minutes into their journey, alarming sounds emanated from the engine, and smoke began to fill the cockpit.

“The first warning was right here on this gauge when the RPM soared to 3,500 and maybe even higher,” Tragarz noted.

Although he attempted to return to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, time was not on his side. Tragarz didn’t even manage to issue a mayday call before the situation demanded immediate action.

The only clear path in sight was 7th Street.

“I saw that it was completely clear,” Tragarz said. “I mean, it looked like a runway.”

Tragarz belly-landed the aircraft, avoiding powerlines and a traffic sign on the way down.

“As soon as I knew I cleared the wires, I started a left-hand turn to line up with the runway,” he said. “Then I saw the sign. I pushed up forward to get up underneath the sign and then pulled back and got underneath it, and the rest is a sliding history.”

No cars, people or buildings were struck. The plane hit a water main, but firefighters were able to stop the water.

“If we hit anything, a car, people, there’s no telling what really would have been the result,” Tragarz said.

The two passengers on board told 12News they’re incredibly thankful to their friend.

“Mike is our hero,” Hanan Haskell said. 

Tragarz said it was his decades of experience and training as an airline pilot that kept them all safe.

“In the time that we had to react, it was that muscle memory and that ability to maintain my situational awareness that you get from that kind of training,” Tragarz said. “It saved the day. I don’t take the credit. It’s the trainers.”

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the incident.