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Passenger lands plane in Florida after pilot incapacitated

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Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="This picture taken on March 25, 2016 shows a Cessna 208 Caravan aircraft in Thailand. Agence France-Presse file photo" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/tvpatrol/05/12/cessna-208-caravan-aircraft.jpg"/><figcaption>This picture taken on March 25, 2016 shows a Cessna 208 Caravan aircraft in Thailand. <em>Agence France-Presse file photo</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MIAMI, United States - A passenger without flying experience landed a small plane at a Florida airport after the pilot was rendered &quot;incoherent&quot; by a medical emergency, US media reported Wednesday.</p><p>The unwitting pilot, the only passenger on the single-engine Cessna 208, relied on air traffic control to guide his landing at Palm Beach International Airport, some 68 miles (110 kilometers) north of Miami, NBC reported.</p><p>Officials at Fort Pierce, north of Palm Beach, received an emergency call around noon on Tuesday from the passenger, saying, &quot;I&#x27;ve got a serious situation here,&quot; NBC reported. </p><p>&quot;My pilot has gone incoherent. I have no idea how to fly the airplane.&quot;</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2034278" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><p>Asked for his position he said, &quot;I have no idea&quot; but that he could see the Florida coastline.</p><p>&quot;Maintain wings level and just try to follow the coast, either north or southbound,&quot; the air traffic official told him. &quot;We&#x27;re trying to locate you.&quot;</p><p>Air traffic controller Robert Morgan said his experience as a flight instructor helped him guide the passenger, whose name has not been released, as he landed the plane.</p><p>&quot;He was very calm, he just said, &#x27;hey, I just don&#x27;t know how to fly, you know, I don&#x27;t know how to stop this thing if I do get it on the runway,&quot; Morgan told CNN.</p><p>&quot;I felt like I was gonna cry because I had so much adrenaline built up&quot; after the incident, Morgan added, saying the passenger gave him a hug and thanked him for helping him get safely back to his pregnant wife.</p><p>The condition of the pilot or the nature of the medical emergency was not immediately released, but Palm Beach Fire Rescue said a patient was transported to a hospital after the plane touched down.</p><div><strong>gma/yow/sw/bgs</strong></div><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2033189" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

A passenger without flying experience landed a small plane at a Florida airport after the pilot was rendered 'incoherent' by a medical emergency, US media reported Wednesday.