pilot failed
Passengers Land on Florida Plane

05/11/2022 11:02 pm

During a flight in Florida, the pilot is suddenly not able to fly the machine. Therefore a traveler must step in. Although he doesn’t “know” how to fly the plane.

According to media reports, a passenger at Palm Beach Airport in the US state of Florida landed a single-engine aircraft with the help of an air traffic controller after his pilot failed. Broadcaster CNN, citing radio traffic, reported that the passenger had alerted the tower the day before and said: “I don’t know how to fly the plane.”

Air traffic controller Robert Morgan – who is also a flight instructor – told CNN the passenger on board the plane from the Bahamas was very calm. He told the man to follow the shore and then directed him to a safe landing in Palm Beach. “Try to keep the wings straight,” said the controller. “Press the control forward and go down very slowly,” were the instructions, as reported by The Washington Post.

“Felt like I was about to cry”

Despite instructions from the air traffic controller, the landing was by no means an easy one. “I don’t know how to stop the plane. I don’t know what to do,” said the passenger. In the end, however, everything went according to plan and everyone involved arrived safely on American soil.

“I felt like I was about to cry because I had so much adrenaline pumping,” Morgan said. “I was really glad it worked out and nobody got hurt.” The “Washington Post”, citing the US aviation authority FAA, reported that the pilot may have had medical problems.

Two people were on board a Cessna 208 machine registered in the US state of Connecticut. Local broadcaster WPBF – which also showed a video of the landing – reported that Morgan had 20 years of experience as a controller and about 1,200 flight hours as a flight instructor.