YOUNG PILOT EXECUTES HEROIC WATER LANDING IN FLORIDA

Beachgoers near Boca Raton, Florida, got an unexpected and frightening sight Saturday when a young pilot was forced to land her plane in the Atlantic Ocean. Faith Tenkley, 23, was flying alone in her family’s Piper PA-30 when mechanical problems developed about 15 miles offshore. With one engine no longer working and the aircraft’s landing gear malfunctioning, Tenkley decided an ocean landing was safer than attempting the runway.

Video captured the tense moment as she carefully maneuvered around buildings and paddleboarders before bringing the plane down in an open area near the beach. Witnesses described the aircraft’s descent as slow and controlled.

A lifeguard reached Tenkley within about a minute, followed by a fire rescue boat. She was pulled from the water without reported injuries and taken to a local hospital as a precaution. Tenkley, who has been a licensed pilot for four years, was reportedly planning to fly to the Bahamas to pick up her parents.

View this post on Instagram