Dramatic Audio Released of Pilot’s Wife Landing Plane After He Has Heart Attack

A husband and wife flying themselves to from Nevada to California suffered a catastrophic emergency while in the air.

The husband, Eliot Alper, was the only trained pilot on board when he began to have a heart attack mid-flight. His wife, Yvonne Kinane-Wells, was left to the controls, not knowing what to do.

She jumped into action, however, radioing air traffic control to let them know the situation. The couple were about two-thirds of the way to their destination when the emergency unfolded.

The audio of the conversation begins with air traffic control asking, "Are you with me?"

The woman has a quiver in her voice as she responds with a simple, "Yeah."

Air traffic control decided the best viable place for her to land the plane was in Bakersfield, Calif., at a former Air Force base called Bakersfield Meadows Field. They had to coach her through it — they were able to give step-by-step instructions on how to both fly and land the aircraft.

Listen to the audio below:

Imagine what she was going through: Not only did was husband suffering a debilitating heart attack, she was not able to tend to him, as she had to try to land their plane on the ground safely, having never flown one before.

With simple instructions and a patient tone, air traffic control came to the rescue.

In the video, you can see that she was able to land the airplane on the 11,000-foot runway (she went past the pavement into the grass a little, but it was her first time).

Alper was rushed to a hospital, but his condition is not known.