Woman, 80, lands plane after husband dies at controls (VIDEO)
An 80-year-old woman landed a twin-engine airplane in northeastern Wisconsin on April 2, 2012, after her husband fell unconscious at the controls and died.
An 80-year-old woman landed a twin-engine airplane in northeastern Wisconsin after her husband fell unconscious at the controls and died.
The Door County dispatch center was notified at about 5 p.m. Monday that a Cessna about 6 miles south of Sturgeon Bay had declared an emergency, The Associated Press reported.
The pilot, an 81-year-old man from the Sturgeon Bay area, had suffered a medical emergency and was unconscious. His wife, who was the passenger, was flying the plane, according to the AP.
The Door County Cherryland Airport sent up a second plane to help coach the woman down, Fox News reported.
The woman was able to land the plane even after it began to run out of fuel and the right engine lost power, according to Fox News.
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," Door County Sheriff Terry Vogel told Fox News.
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