Suddenly lost consciousness at an altitude of approximately 20,000 feet.
On , a King Air C90 was flying from Henderson, Nevada, to Monterey, California, when the pilot suffered a fatal medical emergency.
Guided by air traffic controllers and local pilots on the ground, she diverted the twin-engine turboprop to Meadows Field Airport in Bakersfield. After circling three times to line up, she successfully touched down. The plane overran the runway into a grassy area, but both the passenger and the aircraft were unharmed.
A female passenger with some aviation knowledge but no pilot’s license was forced to take the controls.
There have been two notable and remarkably similar incidents where a passenger had to land a after the pilot was incapacitated, with the most recent occurring in late 2024. Bakersfield, California (October 2024)
The pilot was transported to a hospital but was later pronounced dead. Fort Myers, Florida (April 2009)
This famous "Easter miracle" incident served as the basis for the 2023 film On a Wing and a Prayer .
Suddenly lost consciousness at an altitude of approximately 20,000 feet.
On , a King Air C90 was flying from Henderson, Nevada, to Monterey, California, when the pilot suffered a fatal medical emergency.
Guided by air traffic controllers and local pilots on the ground, she diverted the twin-engine turboprop to Meadows Field Airport in Bakersfield. After circling three times to line up, she successfully touched down. The plane overran the runway into a grassy area, but both the passenger and the aircraft were unharmed.
A female passenger with some aviation knowledge but no pilot’s license was forced to take the controls.
There have been two notable and remarkably similar incidents where a passenger had to land a after the pilot was incapacitated, with the most recent occurring in late 2024. Bakersfield, California (October 2024)
The pilot was transported to a hospital but was later pronounced dead. Fort Myers, Florida (April 2009)
This famous "Easter miracle" incident served as the basis for the 2023 film On a Wing and a Prayer .
