A woman was forced to take control of a plane and successfully land it after her husband, the pilot, suffered a medical emergency mid-flight. The incident occurred on October 4 during a trip from Henderson, Nevada, to Monterey, California.
Eliot Alper, 78, a real estate broker, was piloting the twin-engine Beechcraft King Air 90 when he became incapacitated, according to the Kern County Fire Department told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. His wife, Yvonne Kinane-Wells, took over the controls and managed to land the plane safely with the guidance of air traffic controllers at Meadows Field Airport in Bakersfield, California.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that the plane made an emergency landing at approximately 1:40 p.m. No other injuries were reported, and Kinane-Wells was the only other person on board at the time. Unfortunately, Alper was rushed to the hospital after the landing but later passed away.
Alper, the founder of the real estate companies Spacefinders and Ramrod Realty, was a seasoned pilot. The FAA’s report confirmed that a member of the flight crew, in this case, Alper, died during the incident, leaving his wife to handle the emergency situation.
Kern County Fire officials praised Kinane-Wells for her calm and decisive actions in such a challenging situation. Dispatchers had received a call indicating that the co-pilot, Kinane-Wells, would need to take over landing the plane. With the assistance of air traffic control, she was able to safely bring the aircraft down, avoiding further tragedy.
The incident has left many in shock, but Kinane-Wells’ quick thinking and composure under extreme pressure helped avert a potential disaster.