Yesterday at Palm Beach International Airport in Florida, air traffic controllers received a distress call from a small private plane that had entered their airspace.
The passenger on board informed the controllers via radio that the pilot had become incapacitated, leaving them clueless about how to operate the aircraft.
The passenger was flying in a single-engine Cessna 208 when the pilot suddenly became unresponsive due to a medical emergency. While using the radio to request assistance, the passenger admitted they had no knowledge of the cockpit instruments. The air traffic controllers promptly responded, providing guidance on how to manipulate the controls and safely bring the plane down to the airport.
“Maintain level wings and begin descending slowly. Gently push forward on the controls while descending,” advised the controllers. “Fly along the coastline either north or south. We are locating your position.”
Following the instructions from the controllers, the passenger skillfully landed the plane on the runway at Palm Beach International Airport. Thankfully, the passenger emerged unharmed, though the condition of the pilot remains undisclosed.
A passenger with no flying experience safely landed a plane at Palm Beach International airport in Florida after its pilot became incapacitated. Listen to the air traffic control conversation and watch footage of the plane landing here: https://t.co/ATPE3BSBXE
— CNN (@CNN) May 11, 2022
Following the successful landing, a tower operator informed other pilots on the runway about the incident. “You just witnessed passengers landing that plane,” they recounted to an American Airlines pilot.
“Did you say passengers landed the aircraft?” the astonished pilot inquired. “Oh, my God. Well done.”
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