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WPBF Updated: 7:19 AM EDT May 11, 2022 [41]Ari Hait [42]Reporter WATCH: Air traffic controller guides passenger to safe landing at PBIA after pilot has medical emergency Share * * * Copy Link (BUTTON) ____________________ (BUTTON) Copy {copyShortcut} to copy Link copied! WPBF Updated: 7:19 AM EDT May 11, 2022 (BUTTON) Hide Transcript (BUTTON) Show Transcript FELICIA: THE NEWS AT 11:00 STARTS NOW. TO: DDFIRST AT 11:00, NEW EXCLUSIVE VIDEO JUST INTO OUR NEWSROOM MINUTES AGO. OUR CLEAREST PICTURE YET OF THE LANDING PULLED OFF BY A PASSENGER WITH ABSOLUTELY NO FLIGHT EXPERIENCE WHO GRABBED THE CONTROLS AND LANDED A PLANE WINT ESPALM BEACH, WHEN THE PILOT HAD A MEDICAL EMERGENCY MIDFLIGHT OVER THE OCEAN. FELICIA: INCREDIBLE. TONIGHT FOR THE FIR TSTIME, YOU WILL HEAR FROM THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER WHO MADE IT ALL POSSIBLE. GOOD EVENING. I'M FELICIA RODRIGUEZ. TODD: I'M TODD MCDERMOTT. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. GETTING THROUGH THOSE VERY TENSE MENTS TOOK STEADY NERVES, TEAMWORK, AND CARELFU INSTRUCTION FROM THE JUPITER MAN, WHO WAS ONLY AT WORK TODAY BY CNCHAE. FELICIA: WE HAVE TEAM COVERAGE FOR YOU TONIGHT OF THIS MID-AIR EMERGENCY. OUR TARA JAKEWAY JUST WRAPPED UP AN INTERVIEW WITH TH AATIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER, WHO IS NOTHING SHORT OF PHENOMENAL. TODD: WE BEGIN WITH ARI HAIT, WHO HAS THE TIMELINE OF THE INCREDIBLE LANDING. ARI: I HEARD SOMEBODY EARLIER TODAY REFER TO THIS GENTLE MAN AS A PASSENGER PILOT, BUT I'M PRETTY SURE THAT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE A REAL THING. IT WAS TODAY AND SOMEHOW THAT PASSENGER PILOT WITH ZERO FLIGHT EXPERIENCE GOT THE PLANE ON THE GROUND SAFELY. THIS IS NOT YOUR ORDINARY LANDING OF A PLANE. >> YOU JUST WITNESSED A COUPLE OF PASSENGERS LAND THAT PLANE. ARI: THAT VOICE IS AIR TRFIAFC CONTROL AT PALM BEACH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. >> DID YOU DID YOU SAY THE PASSENGERS LANDED THE AIRPLANE? OH MY GOSH. GREAT JOB. I:AR GREAT JOB DOESN'T BEGIN TO DESCRIBE THIS. THE LANDING OF THIS CESSNA CARAVAN COMES AT 12:30 TUEAYSD AFTERNOON AT PBIA. BUT LET'S REWIND A LITTLE TO WHEN THE PERSON ON BOARD THIS PLANE FIRST RADIOED AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL IN FORT PIERCE. >> I'VE GOT A SERIOUS SITUATION HERE. MY PILOT HAS GONE INCOHERENT. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO FLY THE AIRPLANE. >> ROGER. WHAT'S YOUR POSITN?IO >> I HAVE NO IDEA. I CAN SEE THE COAST OF FLORIDA IN FRONT OF ME. AND I HAVE NO IDEA. >> MAINTAIN WINGS LEVEL AND TRY TO FOLLOTHEW COAST NORTH OR SOUTH BOUND. WE ARE TRYING TO LOCATE YOU. >> I CAN'T EVEN GET THEAV N SCREEN TO TURN ON THAT HAS ALL THE INFORMATION. YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS ON THAT? ARI: EVENTUALLY AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL LOCATES THE PLANE JUST OFF THE COAST OF BOCA RATON, AND THAT'S WHERE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL AT PBIA TAKES OVER, TALKING THE PASSENGER THROUGH AN INCREDIBLY SAFE LANDI.NG >> THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE HEARD OF ONE OF THESE BEING BANDED BY SOMEBODY WHO HAS NO AERONAUTICAL EXPERIENCE. ARI: THE AVIATION EXPERT SAYS IT IS NOT THE FIRST TIMAE PASSENGER HAS LANDED A PLANE BUT IT IS THE FSTIR TIME FOR A PLANE AS LARGE AND COMPLICATED AS THE CARAVAN. >> THE PERSON LISTEN VERY CAREFULLY AND FOLLOWED INSTRUCTIONS WITH GREAT CALM. THAT'S WHAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE. ARI: ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. ATHI TS POINT, NEITHER THE NAME OF THE PASSENGER HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED, NOR HAS THE NAME OF THE PILOT OWH SUFFERED THE MEDICAL EMERGENCY. THE PILOT WAS TAKEN TO T (BUTTON) GET LOCAL BREAKING NEWS ALERTS The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. Your Email Address ____________________ (BUTTON) Submit [43]Privacy Notice Advertisement WATCH: Air traffic controller guides passenger to safe landing at PBIA after pilot has medical emergency Share * * * Copy Link (BUTTON) ____________________ (BUTTON) Copy {copyShortcut} to copy Link copied! WPBF Updated: 7:19 AM EDT May 11, 2022 [44]Ari Hait [45]Reporter A passenger with no flight experience safely landed a private plane at Palm Beach International Airport Tuesday afternoon after the pilot suffered a medical emergency."I've got a serious situation here," the passenger can be heard telling Air Traffic Control in Fort Pierce. "My pilot has gone incoherent. I have no idea how to fly the airplane."LISTEN: Click here to listen to audio from the Fort Pierce tower or read the log here"Roger. What's your position?" Air Traffic Control responded."I have no idea," the passenger said. "I can see the coast of Florida in front of me. And I have no idea.""Maintain wings level and just try to follow the coast, either north or southbound," Air Traffic Control told him. "We're trying to locate you." Four minutes elapse as the passenger tries to figure out what to do."Have you guys located me yet?" he asked. "I can't even get my nav screen to turn on. It has all the information on it. You guys have any ideas on that?"Video below: Air traffic controller guides passenger to safely land plane at PBIAEventually, Air Traffic Control locates the plane on their radar. It was flying just off the coast of Boca Raton.That's when Air Traffic Control at PBIA took over and was able to talk the passenger through a very safe landing. "You just witnessed a couple of passengers land that plane," Air Traffic Control said over the radio.Another voice responded."Did you say the passengers landed the plane?" he asked."That's correct.""Oh, my gosh. Great job." Video below: Watch the plane land safely on the runway Aviation expert John Nance said it goes well beyond just a great job."This is the first time I've ever heard of one of these being landed by somebody that has no aeronautical experience," Nance said.Nance said he's heard of passengers landing planes before, but not a plane as large and as complicated as the Cessna Caravan."The person on the airplane who had no aeronautical experience listened very carefully and obviously followed instructions with great calm," Nance said. "That's what made the difference."'Absolutely incredible': Pilot reacts to passenger with no flight experience landing plane at PBIAThe name of the passenger has not been released nor has the name or condition of the pilot.The Federal Aviation Administration said it believes he suffered a medical emergency.The FAA is investigating. WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- A passenger with no flight experience safely landed a private plane at Palm Beach International Airport Tuesday afternoon after the pilot suffered a medical emergency. "I've got a serious situation here," the passenger can be heard telling Air Traffic Control in Fort Pierce. "My pilot has gone incoherent. I have no idea how to fly the airplane." Advertisement LISTEN: Click [46]here to listen to audio from the Fort Pierce tower or read the log [47]here "Roger. What's your position?" Air Traffic Control responded. "I have no idea," the passenger said. "I can see the coast of Florida in front of me. And I have no idea." "Maintain wings level and just try to follow the coast, either north or southbound," Air Traffic Control told him. "We're trying to locate you." Four minutes elapse as the passenger tries to figure out what to do. "Have you guys located me yet?" he asked. "I can't even get my nav screen to turn on. It has all the information on it. You guys have any ideas on that?" Video below: [48]Air traffic controller guides passenger to safely land plane at PBIA Eventually, Air Traffic Control locates the plane on their radar. It was flying just off the coast of Boca Raton. That's when Air Traffic Control at PBIA took over and was able to talk the passenger through a very safe landing. "You just witnessed a couple of passengers land that plane," Air Traffic Control said over the radio. Another voice responded. "Did you say the passengers landed the plane?" he asked. "That's correct." "Oh, my gosh. Great job." Video below: Watch the plane land safely on the runway Aviation expert John Nance said it goes well beyond just a great job. "This is the first time I've ever heard of one of these being landed by somebody that has no aeronautical experience," Nance said. Nance said he's heard of passengers landing planes before, but not a plane as large and as complicated as the Cessna Caravan. "The person on the airplane who had no aeronautical experience listened very carefully and obviously followed instructions with great calm," Nance said. "That's what made the difference." 'Absolutely incredible': [49]Pilot reacts to passenger with no flight experience landing plane at PBIA The name of the passenger has not been released nor has the name or condition of the pilot. The Federal Aviation Administration said it believes he suffered a medical emergency. The FAA is investigating. Good Housekeeping Saatva's Memorial Day 2022 Sale Is its Best Deal We've Ever Seen The Best Memorial Day Furniture Sales of 2022 The Best Grill Sales Happening This Memorial Day The Best Early Memorial Day 2022 Sales on Bedding Loading more articles... 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