Photo: bluefox42 / iStock / Getty Images
A 23-year-old pilot’s quick thinking and composure helped her safely land a malfunctioning twin-engine Piper plane in the Atlantic Ocean near Boca Raton, Florida, on Saturday (August 22), steering clear of beachgoers and avoiding tragedy.
Faith Tenkley, who has flown for four years, was flying solo from Fort Myers to Bimini in the Bahamas to pick up her parents when she encountered mechanical problems about 15 miles west of Boca Raton. Her right engine failed and her landing gear malfunctioned, making a runway landing too dangerous due to the plane’s full fuel load.
Cleared by air traffic control to land at Boca Raton Airport, Tenkley judged it safer to aim for open water. She said in a statement, "During the descent, my primary focus was ensuring the safety of everyone around me. I was able to navigate toward open water, successfully avoiding all nearby buildings, paddleboarders and swimmers (as well as individuals using metal detectors)." She expressed gratitude for the support and quick response of lifeguards, firefighters, police officers, and witnesses who called for help.
Video footage captured the aircraft’s controlled descent over a busy Boca Raton beach before it gently landed on the ocean’s surface around 9:40 a.m. Lifeguards reached Tenkley within a minute, assisting her as she swam to shore. She was taken to a hospital as a precaution but was not injured, according to police.
Witnesses described the scene as stunning and praised Tenkley’s decision-making. Beachgoer Maria Marks told WPBF, "One second I’m spraying sunscreen on my kid. The next I’m looking up and saying, 'Is that supposed to be happening?'" Another witness, Alex Bester, told WPLG she "went for the shallow water which I think is kinda smart."
Tenkley later clarified that she removed a skirt worn over her bikini before swimming to shore, and wanted to dispel online confusion suggesting a male pilot was rescued by a female surfer.
Authorities have since removed the plane from the water. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is expected to investigate the cause of the mechanical failure. Tenkley’s actions have drawn praise from both local officials and the aviation community for prioritizing public safety in a critical situation.