 Engine failure brought them down on the Goodwin Sands of the English Channel, necessitating a rescue by the collier "Primo" before incoming tides submerged the aircraft.Smirnov was consequently nicknamed "Earl of the Goodwins".In September 1928, Smirnov pioneered the postal route from Amsterdam to Batavia, Dutch East Indies for KLM, an 18,000 mile round trip.