A woman passenger onboard a small plane reportedly lept into action and crash-landed the small aircraft in the US island city of Martha’s Vineyard after the pilot passed out behind the controls.
The female passenger took over the controls of the 2006 Piper Meridian when the 79-year-old male pilot suffered a medical emergency upon final approach in a terrifying moment, media reports, citing Massachusetts State Police, said.
The woman landed the plane in a grassy area near a runway at the island’s airport, but the impact of the “hard landing” caused the left wing to break in half, police said.
The pilot was medevacked to Boston Hospital in life-threatening condition, while the woman was unharmed.
It’s unclear if the pilot’s condition was due to the medical episode he experienced or the impact of the crash.
The pair had flown from Westchester, New York to the Vineyard, according to state police. They were the only two people onboard the plane.
Both the pilot and passenger are from Connecticut.
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