Passenger Lands Cessna 150 After Pilot Incapacitation

A woman passenger made a hard landing in a Cessna 150 on Friday evening, Oct. 18, at Lee Gilmer Memorial Airport (KGVL) in Gainesville, Georgia, after the pilot was incapacitated. Sadly, the pilot later died, according to the Aviation Safety Network, though it is unclear whether his death resulted from the hard landing, the medical emergency or a combination of both.

Audio recordings reveal the pilot announced the flight was 3.7 miles south-southwest of the airport when he made his last call at 2,700 feet MSL (1,424 feet AGL), planning a straight-in approach to Runway 5. After some other radio traffic, the passenger can be heard faintly on the airport advisory frequency (suggesting her voice was being picked up by the pilot’s microphone) desperately calling for help.

Multiple people on the frequency jumped in to provide guidance for the passenger. She maneuvered at dangerously low speed and well below pattern altitude, circling over the airport before the landing, which resulted in a broken nosewheel and smoke, but no fire, according to pilots circling overhead observing the scene.

AVweb requests of local law enforcement for the identities of the pilot and passenger remain unanswered at press time. The 15-minute flight originated at Lawrenceville-Gwinnett County Briscoe Field (KLZU) at 6:02 pm EDT. The Cessna, N11519, is a 1973 150L model with an O-200 Continental engine. It is registered to KAP Title Inc., of Tucker, Georgia.

The Cessna remains at Champion Aviation in Gainesville. Kyle Martin, the line manager for Champion, told AVweb he was not at the airport at the time of the emergency, but said he thought the aircraft looked familiar. He said a “family member” had stopped by and told him that the woman was uninjured. He added the National Transportation Safety Board had examined the wreckage but had not consulted with the FBO.