A passenger crash-landed a small plane at Martha’s Vineyard Airport on Saturday after the pilot suffered a medical emergency, according to the New York Post.
Only two people were on board the 2006 Piper Meridian. The female passenger quickly took control of the plane after the 79-year-old male pilot reportedly lost consciousness as the plane was approaching the airport, the outlet noted.
Passenger crash-lands plane after pilot passes out behind the controls in Martha’s Vineyard https://t.co/BrEU8EaATo
— New York Post (@nypost) July 17, 2023
The woman was able to land the aircraft in a grassy area near a runway at the airport around 3:15 p.m. She reportedly landed without activating the plane’s landing gear, according to the MV Times. The plane’s left wing ended up snapping in half due to the “hard landing,” the NY Post noted. (RELATED: Small Plane Crashes In Missouri Shortly After Takeoff, Leaving Two Occupants Dead)
While the female passenger emerged unharmed, the pilot was airlifted to Boston Hospital in critical condition, the outlet noted. Whether the pilot’s condition was due to the medical episode or the impact of the crash-landing is yet to be determined.
Both residents of Connecticut, the pilot and the passenger had departed from Westchester, New York, earlier that afternoon.
The incident reportedly led to a temporary closure of the airport’s main commercial runway for over two hours, the MV Times noted. The damaged aircraft has been moved to a secure location for further investigation. The crash is being jointly investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration, and Massachusetts State Police.