23-Year-Old Hero Lands Plane Safely in Atlantic

Faith Tenkley, a 23-year-old pilot with four years of experience, successfully executed an emergency ocean landing off Boca Raton, Florida, on Saturday morning. The incident occurred shortly after she departed from Fort Myers, heading to Bimini, Bahamas, in her family's twin-engine Piper PA-30-series aircraft.

During the flight, approximately 15 miles west of Boca Raton, Tenkley encountered critical mechanical issues. The right engine failed, followed by a malfunction in the landing gear. Faced with limited options and the risk of a hard landing on a runway without gear, she made the decisive choice to land the plane in the Atlantic Ocean.

Tenkley skillfully navigated around buildings as she approached the coast and managed to avoid paddleboarders before finding a clear stretch of water. She achieved a remarkably smooth landing, and the aircraft remained intact. Tenkley exited the plane uninjured, with lifeguards and rescue services quickly on the scene.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will investigate the mechanical failures that led to the emergency landing. The aircraft, identified as a PA-39 registered to USOARFlorida LLC, was produced between 1961 and 1972.