A small plane crash-landed at Martha's Vineyard Airport on Saturday following a pilot's medical emergency, as reported by the New York Post.
The incident involved a 2006 Piper Meridian with only two individuals on board. According to the outlet, the 79-year-old male pilot lost consciousness as the plane was approaching the airport, prompting the female passenger to take control of the aircraft.
The woman successfully landed the plane in a grassy area near a runway at approximately 3:15 p.m. However, the landing was executed without activating the plane's landing gear, resulting in the left wing snapping in half upon impact.
Fortunately, the female passenger emerged from the crash unharmed. In contrast, the pilot was airlifted to Boston Hospital in critical condition. The cause of the pilot's condition is yet to be determined, whether it was a result of the medical episode or the crash-landing itself.
Both the pilot and the passenger were residents of Connecticut and had departed from Westchester, New York, earlier that afternoon.
The incident led to a temporary closure of the airport's main commercial runway for over two hours, as reported by the MV Times. The damaged aircraft has since been relocated to a secure location for further investigation. The National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration, and Massachusetts State Police are conducting a joint investigation into the crash.
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