In a daring mid-air drama, a pilot suffered a heart attack while flying a small plane from Las Vegas to California, leaving his wife with no flying experience to take over the controls. Thanks to her quick thinking and assistance from air traffic controllers, the plane was able to land safely.
According to the New York Post, on the afternoon of October 4th, real estate broker Yvonne Kinane-Wells, 69, from Las Vegas, boarded a small plane with her husband Eliot Alper for a trip to California. Alper, a pilot, was at the controls as they took off from Henderson Executive Airport en route to Monterey, California. The couple were the only ones on board.
At an altitude of 5,900 feet (1,798 meters), 78-year-old Alper suffered a sudden heart attack, collapsing in the pilot’s seat and experiencing seizures, with Kinane-Wells seated beside him.
Kinane-Wells, who had never flown a plane before, was understandably panicked. She quickly used the aircraft’s radio to call air traffic control for help, asking for guidance on how to fly the plane.
The air traffic controllers first instructed Kinane-Wells to stabilize the aircraft, then advised her to increase power before directing her to the nearest airport for an emergency landing.
After a few tense moments, Kinane-Wells successfully landed the plane at Meadows Field Airport in Bakersfield, California. It was her first time flying a plane, and she managed to bring it down safely.
Although the plane veered slightly off course during landing and skidded off the 11,000-foot (3,353 meters) runway, it eventually came to a stop. Ground rescue personnel rushed to assist and take the still incapacitated Alper for medical treatment.
Ron Brewster, director of the Kern County Airport in Bakersfield, described the landing as one of the most harrowing he had witnessed in his career.
The Federal Aviation Administration stated in a press release that the couple was flying a twin-engine aircraft manufactured by Beechcraft. The plane landed around 1:40 pm. Both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board have launched an investigation into the incident.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Alper and Kinane-Wells had only married in February of this year. Despite Alper receiving medical treatment, he unfortunately passed away at the hospital.
This incredible story of a wife’s bravery and quick decision-making in the face of an aviation emergency has captured the attention of many. The video footage of this remarkable event can be viewed by clicking here.