tale

[Homicidalheathen]

An Australian stranded on an ice sheet for 18 hours after his plane crash-landed in the sea in northern Canada says he did not think he would survive the ordeal.

25-year-old Oliver Edwards-Neil and his flying partner were taking a light plane from the US state of Ohio to Sweden via northern Canada, Greenland, and Iceland.

The plane's first engine failed as they were crossing the icy Hudson Strait on their way to Iqaluit.

Mr Edwards-Neil has told 702 ABC Sydney Breakfast, "There was a large metallic boom."

"Then smoke began to fill the cabin."

Within a matter of minutes the second engine failed as well.

The pair sent out a mayday call and brought the plane down in some water next to ice.

Mr Edwards-Neil said he had to smash the plane window to escape.

"On impact the ice in the water just smashed through the front windshields and filled the plane with water in seconds. It was up to the roof."

"I couldn't get the door or window open because of the force of the water and I managed to smash the window."

He and his flying partner Troels Hansen scrambled on to an ice sheet where they spent the night waiting to be rescued.

Failed search

Spotter helicopters came within 50 metres of the men during the night but they had no means to signal the rescuers, who eventually abandoned their search.

"In the middle of the night when they stopped searching there was no more activity," he said.

"We thought, OK, in the morning as soon as it's light they're going to come out again, because they're gonna realise that you can see a lot more in the light.

In the morning the light came and then nothing.

We realised at that point they'd given up and that means that we're dead."

Saved

The men were finally found by a fishing boat which spotted them as they tried to hop across ice sheets to get to the shore, 20 kilometres away.

"We saw a bright light in the distance on the water and we knew that it was must have been a boat or a lighthouse or something," said Mr Edwards-Neil.

"They started heading towards our way and tooting their horn."

"When I climbed in the boat the relief just took me to another world."

Mr Edwards-Neil and Mr Hansen are both being treated for minor frostbite on their feet.

Mr Edwards-Neil says he expects he'll take a few weeks to recover.