PASSENGER WITH NO FLYING EXPERIENCE LANDS PLANE AFTER PILOT FALLS ILL AND PASSES OUT

A PILOT WHO FELL ILL AT THE CONTROLS OF HIS PLANE FORCING HIS PASSENGER TO LAND THE LIGHT AIRCRAFT HAS DIED, POLICE HAVE SAID. The plan... thumbnail 1 summary

A PILOT WHO FELL ILL AT THE CONTROLS OF HIS PLANE FORCING HIS PASSENGER TO LAND THE LIGHT AIRCRAFT HAS DIED, POLICE HAVE SAID.

The plane was landed at Humberside Airport by a passenger under the guidance of two flying instructors
The plane was landed at Humberside Airport by a passenger under the guidance of two flying instructors
The man collapsed in the cockpit of the plane after taking off, leaving the “inexperienced” passenger to make an emergency landing.
The plane landed at Humberside Airport under the guidance of instructors called in by air traffic controllers.
Police said they were unable to confirm the cause of death.
A spokesman for Humberside Police said: “The pilot of the plane sadly died last night.
“We are not treating it as suspicious and we are in a position whereby formal identification will take place later today.”
He added that a file would be prepared for the coroner.
Eyewitness saw sparks
Police, fire and ambulance crews were called to the North Lincolnshire airport after a distress call was made from the light aircraft.
Two flying instructors were called in to advise the passenger how to bring the plane down.
One of them, Roy Murray, said: “I think without any sort of talk-down he would have just gone into the ground and that would have been the end of it.”
The passenger and pilot were the only people on board the aircraft, which had taken off from Sandtoft Airfield 25 miles (40km) away.
Eyewitnesses described seeing sparks as the plane landed at about 19:50 BST on Tuesday.
Stuart Sykes said he saw the aircraft land: “It came down with a bump, a bump, a bump, hit the front end down, I heard some crashing and it’s come to a halt.”
Two incoming flights were delayed while the aircraft was removed from the runway.
BBC