In a breathtaking display of quick thinking and sheer bravery, a woman with no flight experience was able to land a plane after her pilot husband suffered a heart attack.
Yvonne Kinane-Wells, 69, from Las Vegas transformed into an impromptu pilot when her husband, Eliot Alper, suffered a heart attack mid-flight.
The couple, initially bound for Monterey Regional Airport from Henderson Executive Airport, faced an unexpected twist when their lives were suddenly placed in jeaopardy following Alper's mid-flight medical episode.
The incident occurred last Friday afternoon, as they soared through the skies in their small twin-engine Beechcraft King Air 90.
Suddenly Eliot, aged 78, became incapacitated.
With no prior flying experience, Yvonne was thrust into the pilot's seat, her quick action becoming the thin line between life and death.
An audio recording of the incident reveals the high-stakes drama that unfolded in the air as air traffic controllers played a crucial role in guiding Yvonne with a steady hand.
They instructed her to adjust the plane’s power to maintain altitude and guided her through a right-hand turn to align the aircraft for landing at Bakersfield Airport.
"Your altitude is looking good, 5,900 feet, try to stay level at 6. You’re in a right-hand turn. Continue that right-hand turn," directed the controller, setting the stage for a tense but hopeful conclusion.
"We’re going to set you up so that as you level off from your turn you are going to be straight in for Bakersfield Airport," air traffic control says. "Is that all right?"
"Okay," a hesitant Yvonne is heard replying.
With emergency crews on standby, Yvonne managed to exceed any and all expectations. She navigated the plane towards Meadows Field Airport in Bakersfield, California, where she not only landed but did so with the plane remarkably undamaged and herself unharmed.
The landing wasn’t picture-perfect — extending past the 11,000-foot runway a tad — but it averted what could have been a catastrophic ending. (And, let's face it - given the circumstances - I think we can let her off a few yards.)
Upon landing, emergency services sprang into action, with the Kern County Fire Department transporting the still-immobile Eliot to the hospital. His condition post-incident remains unclear.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has confirmed the incident and announced an investigation, led by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
"The passenger of a twin-engine Beechcraft King Air 90 landed at Meadows Field Airport in California around 1:40 pm local time on Friday, October 4, after the pilot had a medical emergency," the FAA said in a statement.
"The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide all updates."
On Facebook, Alper's niece said: "Yvonne, you are a hero for being able to land that plane safely and walk away safely under so much stress."
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