Untrained Wife Lands Plane After Pilot Husband’s Heart Attack

In a remarkable turn of events, a passenger with no flying experience successfully landed a private plane when her husband, the pilot, suffered a heart attack mid-flight. The incident unfolded on October 4, 2024, when the couple was flying in a two-engine Beechcraft King Air 90 at an altitude of 5,900 feet.

Reports indicate that the Las Vegas-based real estate agent, who had no prior flight experience, found herself in a critical situation as her husband became incapacitated. In a dramatic audio recording, air traffic control can be heard guiding her through the emergency landing process, instructing her to “add a little bit of power” and directing her toward Meadows Field Airport in Bakersfield.

As she prepared for the emergency landing, her voice trembled in response to the controller’s calm instructions. “We’re going to set you up so that as you level off from your turn, you’re going to be straight in for Bakersfield Airport. Is that alright?” the air traffic controller said.

With nerves of steel, she replied, “Okay,” just minutes before making her first and only emergency landing.

Once on approach, the wife utilized the full 11,000-foot runway, successfully bringing the plane to a halt. Emergency crews were on standby and used their vehicles to intercept the aircraft. Video footage from Telegram, shared on October 7, captured the harrowing moment paramedics provided CPR to the pilot before transporting him to a car for immediate medical attention.

Both the pilot and his wife were taken to the hospital, where the pilot received care on the tarmac. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that the passenger safely landed the twin-engine aircraft around 1:40 PM local time.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have initiated an investigation into the incident, with the NTSB taking the lead and promising to provide updates. As of now, the pilot’s condition remains unknown, but the incredible courage and quick thinking of his wife have been hailed as nothing short of miraculous.