A passenger onboard a plane was forced to make an emergency landing at Martha's Vineyard Saturday after the pilot lost consciousness.
The unidentified female passenger leapt into action after the 79-year-old pilot suffered a medical emergency upon final approach, taking over the controls of the 2006 Piper Meridian, according to authorities.
She was able to land the plane on a grassy area near a runway at the island's airport, but the left wing broke in half due to the impact of the "hard landing," police said.
The pilot was airlifted to Boston Hospital in life-threatening condition while the woman escaped unharmed. She was evaluated at Martha's Vineyard Hospital and released.
It is unclear whether the pilot's condition was due to injuries sustained upon impact of landing or from the unspecified medical emergency he suffered moments before.
The pair, who were the only two people on board, had flown from Westchester, New York, to Martha's Vineyard, according to state police. They were both Connecticut residents.
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation and is being assisted by the Federal Aviation Administration and the police.
The Saturday landing occurred a day before the anniversary of the tragic plane crash that killed John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife, and his sister-in-law 24 years ago.
On July 16, 1999, Kennedy, his wife Carolyn Bessette, and her sister Lauren Bessette were killed when the Piper Saratoga aircraft they were in crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off Martha's Vineyard, The Washington Post noted.
The National Transportation Safety Board investigation concluded that Kennedy, who was only certified to fly in clear weather, suffered from spatial disorientation that caused him to lose control of the plane as it descended over the ocean at night.
After clearing the scene on Saturday, the Piper Meridian aircraft was safely relocated to a secure area at the airport, police reported.
The crash landing resulted in significant delays for flights to Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C. However, the primary commercial runway has since reopened, allowing normal operations to resume.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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