Passenger Crash Lands Plane Departing From Westchester After Pilot Suffers Medical Emergency

A female passenger took the controls of a small plane that departed from New York and crash-landed on Martha's Vineyard Island after the pilot suffered a medical emergency, according to Massachusetts State Police.

Martha’s Vineyard Airport.
Photo Credit: *Google Maps*

Joe Lombardi

07/16/2023 10:40 a.m.

The incident happened at around 3:15 p.m. Saturday, July 15 in a grassy area near a runway at Martha’s Vineyard Airport.

The aircraft, a 2006 Piper Meridian, departed from Westchester County Airport in White Plains earlier in the afternoon. The pilot and passenger are Connecticut residents.

A preliminary investigation indicates that the woman took the controls after the 79-year-old male pilot suffered the medical emergency upon the final approach, Massachusetts State Police added.

The aircraft’s left wing broke in half during the crash landing.

Both the pilot and passenger were transported to the local hospital. The pilot was then flown by medical helicopter to a Boston Hospital in serious life-threatening condition.

The passenger was evaluated at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital and released. Her age was not released.

The aircraft was removed to a secure location at the airport.

The crash remains under investigation by:

Massachusetts State Police State Police-Oak Bluffs Barracks,
State Police Detective Unit for the Cape and Islands District,
The Federal Aviation Administration.

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