A passenger in a single-engine Cessna had to land the plane himself in the USA – without any flying knowledge. The pilot had apparently fallen ill.
With the help of an air traffic controller, a passenger in Florida was able to land a small plane safely. “We have a serious problem. The pilot is confused,” Darren Harrison radioed on the flight from the Bahamas on Tuesday, according to a report by US broadcaster CNN. He himself had no idea about flying, he added. Air traffic controller Robert Morgan was the right man in the right place: He is also a qualified flight instructor. However, he had not yet flown the model 208 from which the emergency call came.
According to the CNN report, he got an overview of the instruments and began to give the passenger instructions. “Try to keep the wings level and see if you can begin the descent for me. Push the controls forward and descend very slowly,” the controller could be heard over the radio.
Morgan diverted the flight to Palm Beach, the largest airport in the region and therefore highly visible. Finally, the passenger managed to bring the Cessna safely to the ground. Student pilots usually need 20 hours of practice for this. It is still unclear why the actual pilot suddenly failed. According to official information, there was a possible medical emergency.