Pilot survives emergency landing off Boca Raton beach
On August 22, viewers of ‘Fox & Friends’ were captivated by remarkable footage showing 23-year-old pilot Faith Tenkley’s extraordinary skills and composure during an emergency water landing near Boca Raton, Florida. With precision, Tenkley expertly maneuvered her single-engine plane away from beachcombers and paddleboarders, ultimately swimming ashore unscathed. Local authorities have lauded her for the swift and decisive actions that averted potential disaster.
This past weekend, the bravery of a young pilot, just 23, was on full display as she executed a controlled ditching of her twin-engine Piper aircraft into the Atlantic waters off Boca Raton, Florida. Despite the intensity of the situation, she humbly credited others in her statement, downplaying her own heroic efforts.
Faith Tenkley expressed her thoughts in a statement to Fox News, saying, “My primary focus during the descent was to ensure the safety of everyone around me. I successfully navigated the aircraft toward open waters, diligently steering clear of nearby buildings, paddleboarders, swimmers, and even those wielding metal detectors.” Her words resonate with her profound sense of responsibility.
The gripping moments of Tenkley’s serene water landing on Saturday morning have gone viral across social media platforms. Bystanders watched with amazement, yet ironically, one man, absorbed in his metal detecting quest on the beach, seemed oblivious to the unfolding drama behind him.
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Tenkley, meanwhile, was dodging buildings and a busy beach while trying to find a safe way to land a crippled aircraft.
“I want to express my deepest gratitude for the concern and support following my unexpected water landing yesterday,” her Sunday statement began. “I am incredibly fortunate and relieved to share that I was able to swim away from this incident.
“After deciding a landing at Boca Raton Airport was not the safest option I continued to the coast.”
Cleared by air traffic control (ATC) to land on a runway, her landing gear was malfunctioning, leaving her concerned about a hard landing with a plane still full of fuel.
“I want to extend my thanks to ATC for being prepared, as well as the lifeguards, firefighters and the police officers whose rapid response and professionalism ensured everyone’s safety – as well as any witnesses who called for help,” her statement concluded. “Thank you all for your kind messages.”
Tenkley, who has been flying for four years, was the only person aboard her family’s twin-engine Piper PA-30 when it developed mechanical trouble Saturday on a flight from Page Field in Fort Myers, Florida, to Bimini in the Bahamas, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
She was flying to the Bahamas to pick up her parents when the trouble began about 15 miles west of Boca Raton. She initially planned to divert to Boca Raton Airport before the plane’s landing gear malfunctioned and its right engine failed.
The tail of the plane was seen on video sticking out of the ocean. (SCHD STAN/Craig Sutton via Storyful)
As she approached the coast, Tenkley guided the disabled plane to the open stretch of water just offshore.
Video captured by a beachgoer shows the aircraft descending low over the busy Boca Raton beach before gently landing on the ocean’s surface. The Piper remained largely intact as Tenkley, wearing a bikini, swam away from the aircraft with the help of a lifeguard who arrived in moments to assist.
A Boca Raton Ocean Rescue fire boat arrived shortly afterward. She was taken to a hospital as a precaution and was not reported injured.
The footage initially prompted confusion online, with some viewers mistakenly believing Tenkley was a surfer helping a male pilot. She had removed a long skirt she was wearing over her bikini to swim to shore, she told Gulf Coast News.