A passenger with no flying experience managed to safely land a private plane when the pilot, her husband, suffered a heart attack during the flight.
As reported by FlightAware, a flight tracking website, the aircraft, a Beechcraft King Air 90 with registration N6077X, departed from Las Vegas, Nevada at 11:00 local time on October 4, 2024, flying towards Bakersfield, California. There were just two people on the aircraft, the pilot and his wife.
The pilot suffered a heart attack and lost consciousness during the flight leaving his wife to quickly figure out how to take control of the aircraft.
At around 13:00 local time, air traffic controllers contacted the pilot’s wife and guided her to California’s Meadows Field Airport (BFL), providing her with detailed instructions on how to land the Beechcraft aircraft.
The novice pilot received guidance from the ground and gradually descended, leveling off at around 1,500 feet. The aircraft made three circles before aligning with Runway 12L. It landed successfully but went off the runway into a grassy area.
A video from Telegram, published on October 7, 2024, captures paramedics giving CPR to the pilot as they carry him to the car. The pilot and his wife were both brought to the hospital.
According to a preliminary report from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the pilot unfortunately died. There were no reports of any injuries to the wife and the aircraft was not damaged.
The FAA said it is now investigating the incident alongside the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).