77-year-old John Wildey was the only passenger aboard a Cessna 172 flying from Skegness to Sandtoft Airfield, near Doncaster, when the pilot fell gravely ill and passed out. John naturally did what any true legend does and landed the plane himself, completely in the dark.

Mr. Wildey frantically called mayday while trying to revive the pilot, to no avail, before the air traffic controllers got hold of him to guide him down. They sent him to Humberside Airport, which he was able to find after seeing a bridge he recognised. By the time he got to the airport, it was pitch black and he couldn’t get the cockpit lights on to tell if the aircraft was level.

John had never flown a plane before but after a couple of circuits around the airstrip he was able to make what he calls more of a “controlled crash” than a landing. Air traffic controllers have praised him for remaining calm throughout the ordeal and landing the plane safely. The pilot who passed out mid-flight later died in hospital – a post-mortem is yet to be carried out but police are not suspecting any foul play.

[Source : The Telegraph]