A Connecticut woman saved the day when she took control of a small plane after the pilot fell unconscious during a flight from New York to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.
A Connecticut woman took over the controls of a small airplane after the pilot had a medical emergency, with both of them surviving after she crash-landed at Martha’s Vineyard Airport, according to authorities.https://t.co/cAfRkuZ8tu
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) July 17, 2023
The incident unfolded on Saturday afternoon when the six-seater Piper Meridian turboprop plane was approaching Martha’s Vineyard Airport. As the aircraft descended, the 79-year-old pilot, also from Connecticut, suddenly experienced a severe medical episode, causing him to lose consciousness.
Fortunately, the pilot was not alone. Accompanying him was a brave 68-year-old female passenger who remained calm under pressure. In a move that saved her life and the pilot’s, she stepped up to the challenge and skillfully guided the plane towards a safe landing, even without the landing gear engaged.
Eyewitnesses reported that the landing was rough, resulting in the left wing breaking upon impact, several hundred feet away from the runway. As reported by the Massachusetts State Police, the crash “resulted in a hard landing outside the runway that caused the aircraft’s left wing to break in half.”
Despite the intensity of the situation, the woman remarkably emerged from the crash with only minor injuries. While she was evaluated and subsequently released after she and the pilot were rushed to a local hospital, the pilot’s condition was more serious, necessitating his airlifting to a Boston hospital. As of the time of this reporting, his exact state of health is not known.
In the aftermath of the incident, Martha’s Vineyard Airport was forced to temporarily suspend operations on its primary runway. After approximately two hours, the runway partially reopened to allow some traffic. However, some flights scheduled for that afternoon and evening were rescheduled for the following day.
The aircraft in question is registered under Access Yacht Sales Inc, a company based in Norwalk, Connecticut. Both the pilot and the woman on board were reportedly the owners of the plane, although their identities have not been disclosed to the public.Their relationship has also not been specified.
To ensure a thorough understanding of the event and the circumstances surrounding it, the National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration, as well as the Massachusetts State Police have launched an investigation into the crash.
