In a shocking incident, a 69-year-old woman successfully landed a small plane after her husband, the pilot, suffered a fatal heart attack mid-air. The dramatic event unfolded when Yvonne Kinane-Wells, a real estate agent from Las Vegas, found herself alone in the cockpit, with no flying experience, as her husband, 78-year-old Eliot Alper, became incapacitated during the flight.
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The couple was flying from Las Vegas to California when tragedy struck. Eliot, a multimillionaire, suddenly collapsed due to a stroke while the plane was cruising at 5,900 feet. With her husband unresponsive, Yvonne took swift action, contacting air traffic control for assistance.
Despite never having flown a plane before, Yvonne relayed the emergency to the air traffic control tower. In a calm yet desperate attempt to save both her life and her husband’s, she followed instructions from the air traffic controller, who quickly devised a plan to guide her to safety.
The controller immediately instructed Yvonne to redirect the plane toward Bakersfield’s Meadows Field Airport, the closest airport to their location. Step by step, the controller provided guidance as Yvonne maneuvered the aircraft, which was still flying thousands of feet above ground.
In an audio recording obtained by local media, the air traffic controller can be heard providing critical instructions, saying, “We’re going to set you up so that as you level off from your turn, you’re going to be straight in for Bakersfield Airport. Is that alright?” In a shaky voice, Yvonne simply replied, “Okay,” as she prepared to perform an emergency landing.
Incredibly, with no prior training, Yvonne was able to safely bring the plane down. Her landing, though unorthodox, was nothing short of miraculous. Emergency crews awaited her arrival and intercepted the plane as it came to a stop on the 11,000-foot runway. Due to her inexperience, Yvonne used the entire length of the runway before the aircraft came to a complete halt.
Unfortunately, despite immediate medical attention upon landing, her husband Eliot could not be revived and . The cause of death was confirmed as a stroke that had rendered him unconscious mid-flight.
Kern County’s director of airports, Ron Brewster, described the event as highly unusual. Speaking to the press, Brewster said, “It’s to my knowledge unprecedented. I’ve never seen it in my entire career.”
Yvonne’s ability to successfully land the plane under such extraordinary circumstances has been hailed as nothing short of a miracle. Despite the tragic loss of her husband, her quick thinking and calmness in the face of overwhelming danger saved her life and prevented what could have been a devastating crash.
The incident has since garnered widespread attention, with many calling Yvonne’s actions heroic amidst the devastating loss of her husband.
