An 80-year-old woman with little flying experience successfully landed a plane on Tuesday after her pilot husband died at the controls.
John and Helen Collins
Helen Collins took the controls of the Cessna twin-engined plane after her 81-year-old husband John had a heart attack mid-air.
Helen Collins took the controls of the Cessna twin-engined plane after her 81-year-old husband John had a heart attack mid-air.
The pair were flying to Cherryland Airport, near Sturgeon Bay, Milwaukee, from their second home in Marco Island, Florida, for Easter.
Only seven minutes away from the airport, Mr Collins alerted his wife to his condition and called her to the cockpit. As she took control of the plane, which was running low on fuel, he became unconscious.
Mrs Collins, who has flown hundreds of hours by her husband's side, called police dispatchers before landing the plane with help from her son over the radio and another pilot who guided her to safety in another plane.
Her son James praised his mother's calmness throughout the ordeal. Mrs Collins had taken lessons on how to take off and land around 30 years ago but had never received her licence.
"At one point she didn't even want the wingman to go up," he said. "She said, 'Don't you guys think I could do this on my own? Don't you have confidence in me?' She was calmer than everybody on the ground. She had it totally under control."
The pilot who helped was Robert Vuksanovic, who lived just a mile from the airport, said Keith Kasbohm, director of Cherryland Airport. After getting the call from Mr Kasbohm, Mr Vuksanovic jumped in another plane owned by the Collins family and flew up to meet the Cessna while instructing the novice on the radio.
"He felt it would be easier," Mr Kasbohm said. "With him alongside of her, he could control her speed and altitude" before she attempted a landing.
Mr Collins said his mother knew her husband had died after she unsuccessfully tried to get him back into his seat belt, which he unbuckled before he collapsed.
He said one engine had completely run out of fuel and the other had to be close to running out because it was sputtering. He said the nose-wheel collapsed upon landing and she skidded down the runway about 1,000 feet but she worked the rudders to keep the plane straight, he said.
"The amazing thing is she landed that plane on one engine," she said. "I don't know if are a lot of trained pilots that could do that."
At a news conference on Tuesday, Mr Vuksanovic said he also experienced Helen Collins' confidence, WLUK-TV reported.
"She wanted to know if I was confident in her confidence," he said. "I said if you're confident then I'm confident, I think we can do this."
Mr Collins said his mother was admitted to hospital on Tuesday with an injury to her vertebrae and a cracked rib but was doing well.
He said he stayed calm and focused because he had to help her.
"I already knew I lost my dad, I didn't want to lose my mom," he said. "It could have been both of them at once."
He described his mother's actions as unbelievable, answering their questions about air speed or the flaps. "You think she had done it all her life."
"Everybody is proud of her," he said. "I think she is a local hero for sure."
The pilot who helped was Robert Vuksanovic, who lived just a mile from the airport, said Keith Kasbohm, director of Cherryland Airport. After getting the call from Mr Kasbohm, Mr Vuksanovic jumped in another plane owned by the Collins family and flew up to meet the Cessna while instructing the novice on the radio.
"He felt it would be easier," Mr Kasbohm said. "With him alongside of her, he could control her speed and altitude" before she attempted a landing.
Mr Collins said his mother knew her husband had died after she unsuccessfully tried to get him back into his seat belt, which he unbuckled before he collapsed.
He said one engine had completely run out of fuel and the other had to be close to running out because it was sputtering. He said the nose-wheel collapsed upon landing and she skidded down the runway about 1,000 feet but she worked the rudders to keep the plane straight, he said.
"The amazing thing is she landed that plane on one engine," she said. "I don't know if are a lot of trained pilots that could do that."
At a news conference on Tuesday, Mr Vuksanovic said he also experienced Helen Collins' confidence, WLUK-TV reported.
"She wanted to know if I was confident in her confidence," he said. "I said if you're confident then I'm confident, I think we can do this."
Mr Collins said his mother was admitted to hospital on Tuesday with an injury to her vertebrae and a cracked rib but was doing well.
He said he stayed calm and focused because he had to help her.
"I already knew I lost my dad, I didn't want to lose my mom," he said. "It could have been both of them at once."
He described his mother's actions as unbelievable, answering their questions about air speed or the flaps. "You think she had done it all her life."
"Everybody is proud of her," he said. "I think she is a local hero for sure."
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