A wife with no experience flying planes was forced to land a plane all by herself after her pilot husband experienced a heart attack while in the air.
And they lived to tell the tale.
At a glance:
- Yvonne Kinane-Wells, 69, with no flight experience, was forced to land a plane after her husband, Eliot Alper, 78, suffered a heart attack mid-flight.
- Air traffic control guided her step-by-step to safely land the twin-engine Beechcraft King Air 90 at Meadows Field Airport in California.
- Emergency crews were on standby, and Alper was immediately taken to the hospital.
A flight from Las Vegas to Monterey, California, turned into a life-or-death scenario when 69-year-old Yvonne Kinane-Wells had to take control of the plane after her husband, Eliot Alper, suffered a heart attack while piloting. Without any prior flying experience, Kinane-Wells contacted air traffic control for help.
The private plane was cruising at 5,900 feet when air traffic controllers calmly guided the terrified Kinane-Wells through the process of landing the aircraft. Her voice trembled as she followed their detailed instructions, eventually making a successful emergency landing at Meadows Field Airport.
Emergency crews were prepared on the ground, and Kinane-Wells managed to use the entire 11,000-foot runway to bring the plane safely to a stop. Alper, who was immobilized by the heart attack, was rushed to the hospital by the Kern County Fire Department. His current condition remains unknown.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched an investigation into the incident, which has been described as highly unusual by aviation officials. Despite the rarity of such an event, Kinane-Wells’ quick thinking and air traffic control’s guidance likely saved her and her husband’s lives.
Amazing job, right?