On 2022-05-10, the pilot of a Cessna 208 Caravan bound from Florida to the Bahamas told his two passengers he wasn’t feeling well, then slumped unconscious against the controls, placing the airplane into a steep descent. Neither of the passengers had any flying experience or knew where the plane was at the time. One of the passengers arrested the descent and called air traffic control on whatever frequency the radio was set to. After a series of hand-offs, Palm Beach flight controller Robert Morgan, a certified flight instructor (who had, however, no experience in the Cessna Caravan), contacted the passenger and talked him through a perfect landing at Palm Beach Airport. Here is the story from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, “Miracle in the Air: Air Traffic Controllers Guide Passenger to Land Plane Safely”.
In this video, Juan Browne of the Blancolirio channel interviews Robert Morgan about the experience and how and why he made the decisions that led to a happy outcome for all concerned. After landing, the pilot was taken to hospital, diagnosed with a heart condition, and is expected to recover.
