Stricken Pilot In Caravan Emergency Back To Flying

The pilot whose in-flight medical crisis prompted a non-pilot passenger to land their Cessna Caravan now has his medical back. Kenneth Allen was flying two passengers from the Bahamas to Florida on May 10, 2022, when his aortic artery tore. One of the passengers, Darren Harrison, who had no flight experience, took the controls and, with help from an instructor over the radio, landed the big single pretty much flawlessly at Palm Beach Airport. As Harrison was celebrated for the outcome, Allen was far from being out of danger.

He was taken to Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center where doctors diagnosed a tear in his aorta that reached deep into his abdomen. “It really is nothing short of a miracle that he was even able to get to us,” Dr. Nishant Patel told NewsNation. He underwent emergency open heart surgery and Patel was able to repair the damage. After 17 months of recovery and rehabilitation, the FAA reissued his medical. Allen said he's been through numerous tests and assessments and given a clean bill of health. He said he's flown almost every day since he got his ticket back. He's planning to fly Harrison, his wife and their 14-month-old daughter to Charleston next week.