Source:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/04/02/80-year-old-woman-lands-plane-after-pilot-husband-drops-dead/?cmpid=cmty_twitter_fn

STURGEON BAY, Wisc. – An 80-year-old Wisconsin woman successfully landed a twin-engine plane after her pilot husband became unconscious and later died, Fox 11 reports.

Authorities say the woman's 81-year-old husband suffered a medical condition while he was at the controls of the plane and lost consciousness.

His wife, who had no flying experience, called on the radio for help. The Door County Cherryland Airport in northeast Wisconsin sent a second plane up to help coach the woman down.

"She's not a licensed pilot and has very little on flying an aircraft," said Door County Sheriff Terry Vogel.

The plane then began to run out of fuel and the right engine lost power. With the help of the second pilot, the woman was able to successfully land the plane.

"We got him up into an aircraft and he felt it was easier for him to give her instructions, for him to determine for instance, her speed in the air and how to instruct how to successfully land that aircraft," Vogel said.

She suffered minor injuries. Her husband was pronounced dead on the ground.

"We're very proud of her for doing what she did. It was a very difficult situation with her husband unconscious next to her. It took a lot to collect her thoughts and get that thing landed," Vogel said.

The sheriff's department has not released the names of the couple and the pilot that helped land the plane.

in all honesty, this is pretty amazing. i think of how easy it is to fly a plane, so every time i'm up with friends or family, i always try to give them a quick lesson of the basics...and it always seems so difficult for them....so to think an 80yr old lady was able to land is pretty epic.

Yeah, once you have your license you tend to forget how hard it was at first (if it was, I've seen some disgustingly talented people, who just "got it" right away). Then you let someone else take the controls, and before you know it you're in a 45 degree bank without them noticing or knowing how to fix it :). She must either have flown a lot with her husband, or been one of those few natural talents.

in all honesty, this is pretty amazing. i think of how easy it is to fly a plane, so every time i'm up with friends or family, i always try to give them a quick lesson of the basics...and it always seems so difficult for them....so to think an 80yr old lady was able to land is pretty epic.

Forget about the difficulty flying the plane, imagine trying to do ANYTHING with your loved one unconscious by your side. Then add in the difficulty of flying the plane, it is truly remarkable what she did.

 

Rest in peace to the deceased.

Forget about the difficulty flying the plane, imagine trying to do ANYTHING with your loved one unconscious by your side. Then add in the difficulty of flying the plane, it is truly remarkable what she did

 

And on one engine??!!?? At least that was implied. . .

And on one engine??!!?? At least that was implied. . .

 

& low fuel

WOW !

 

Fred.

Do we have this story confirmed from another source? I was ok right up until they said one engine was out, then I had to wonder.

 

Hook

 

PS. Ok, lets have a look at the article:

 

"Helen Collins, 80, had some flight training years ago but was not familiar with the controls of the Cessna twin-engine plane..."

 

""She was on her last attempt to get lined up with the runway," Kasbohm said. "She reported one engine was sputtering on that last attempt to land."

 

Not quite as bad as originally reported.

 

Hook

OK, so basically she was low on fuel and could fly, but was not current on type, plus her husband was dying beside her. Still a pretty damn awesome job getting down safely!

Still a pretty damn awesome job getting down safely!

 

Agreed.