Controller Robert Morgan, left, with the passenger he helped land a single-engine Cessna safely after an unusual in-flight emergency. [Courtesy: FAA]
Key Takeaways:
A Cessna 208 Caravan pilot became incapacitated mid-flight, forcing a passenger with no prior piloting experience to take control of the aircraft.
Air traffic controllers Chip Flores and Robert Morgan provided critical guidance, with Flores initiating help and Morgan taking over to coach the passenger through the landing.
Leveraging his experience as a commercial pilot and flight instructor, Morgan simplified instructions and chose a 10,000-foot runway for the best chance of a safe landing.
With expert, real-time coaching from air traffic control, the passenger successfully landed the plane safely at Palm Beach International Airport.
What seemed like a routine charter flight from the Bahamas to Florida on Tuesday took an unexpected turn for two passengers in a Cessna 208 Caravan when the pilot became incapacitated, slumped against the controls, and sent the aircraft into a dive.
The day also changed for air traffic controllers Chip Flores and Robert Morgan.
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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
