Tag Archives: emergency landing

Passenger lands plane after pilot has medical emergency

Meet Darren Harrison, who was the passenger on a recent Cessna flight heading back to Florida from the Bahamas.

The pilot experienced a medical emergency (he’s ok now) and Darren had to radio air traffic control to help him land the plane. The pilot had gone unconscious due to an aneurysm.

Darren said he “knew if I didn’t react that we would die.”

He also said he knew he did not want to call his wife and tell her “bye.” She is seven months pregnant and expecting their first child together, a daughter due in the summer.

Air traffic controller Robert Morgan guided Darren through the steps of flying and landing the plane even as Darren continued to struggle with the navigation system. Darren was eventually able to pull into the runway at the Palm Beach International Airport.

As Darren said in The Today Show interview, “the hand of God was on that plane.”

Read the whole story here and/or watch the video here:

Here’s Darren’s 10 minute interview with The Today Show:

Bet Darren’s wife is so proud of him, and thankful he remained so calm!

DCG