Passenger Lands Sick Pilot's Plane

A passenger has landed an aeroplane at Humberside Airport after the pilot fell ill at the controls. Police, fire and ambulance crews were called to the airport after the pilot collapsed and a distress call was made from the light aircraft. Two flying instructors were called in to advise the passenger how to bring the plane down. One of them, Roy Murray, said the passenger had no flying experience and did a "remarkable job". The passenger and pilot were the only people on board the aircraft, which took off from Sandtoft Airfield 25 miles (40km) away. Mr Murray, who works at a flying school based at the airport, said: "He made quite a good landing, actually. "He didn't know the layout of the aeroplane, he didn't have lights on so he was absolutely flying blind as well. "I think he'd flown once before as a passenger but never flown an aeroplane before." Mr Murray said he tried to keep the man calm as he talked him through the landing procedure. "The last thing you want to do is panic, then all sorts of things can happen." He said there were cheers in the airport control room as the plane landed safely on its fourth attempt. "It's a fantastic feeling knowing I have achieved something and probably saved somebody's life. "I think without any sort of talk down he would have just gone into the ground and that would have been the end of it."