In a remarkable act of heroism in the United States, a woman safely landed a small turboprop aircraft after her husband suffered a stroke mid-flight during their journey to California.
Yvonne Kinane-Wells, a Las Vegas-based real estate agent with no prior flying experience, managed to land the aircraft after her husband, Eliot Alper, collapsed. The incident occurred last week when the couple flew their two-engine Beechcraft King Air 90 from Henderson Executive Airport in Las Vegas to Monterey, California.
When Eliot, 78, suddenly passed out due to a heart attack, Yvonne immediately contacted air traffic control. Taking command of the plane, she informed them of the emergency. Air traffic agents assisted her in redirecting the plane, which was at an altitude of about 5,900 feet, to the nearest airport, Meadows Field in Bakersfield, California. They instructed her to increase the plane’s power for a safe approach.
Upon landing in Bakersfield, emergency crews intercepted the aircraft, and medical personnel swiftly attended to the couple. Although Yvonne managed to stop the plane after exceeding the 11,000-foot runway and going slightly off-road, Eliot could not be saved.
Despite the tragic outcome, Yvonne’s ability to control the plane without any flying experience left many in awe. Ron Brewster, Kern County’s director of airports, told the Daily Mail, “It’s unprecedented to my knowledge. I’ve never seen it in my entire career.”
