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Passenger Lands Caravan After Pilot Becomes ‘Incoherent’

Air traffic controllers guide passenger with no flight training to a safe landing.

The passenger landed the Cessna Caravan at Palm Beach International Airport. [File photo: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University]
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Key Takeaways:

  • A passenger with no piloting experience successfully landed a Cessna 208 Caravan at Palm Beach International Airport.
  • The emergency landing was prompted by the aircraft's pilot becoming incapacitated due to a medical emergency mid-flight.
  • Air traffic controllers provided crucial step-by-step guidance and instructions, enabling the passenger to execute a safe and remarkably smooth landing.
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A passenger with no piloting experience landed a Cessna 208 Caravan on Tuesday at Palm Beach International Airport (KPBI) with the help of air traffic controllers after the airplane’s pilot reportedly suffered a medical emergency that incapacitated him.

“I’ve got a serious situation here. My pilot has gone incoherent. I have no idea how to fly the airplane.”

Jonathan Welsh

Jonathan Welsh is Lead Editor of Aviation Consumer and a private pilot who worked as a reporter, editor and columnist with the Wall Street Journal for 21 years, mostly covering the auto industry. His passion for aviation began in childhood with balsa-wood gliders his aunt would buy for him at the corner store. Follow Jonathan on Twitter @JonathanWelsh4

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