Woman, 80, lands plane low on fuel; husband dies

Woman, 80, lands plane low on fuel; husband dies

STURGEON BAY, Wis. (AP) — An elderly woman took control of a small plane from her unconscious husband which was dangerously low on fuel and landed it on a runway at a small northeastern Wisconsin airport, the facility’s director said today.

Helen Collins, 80, had some flight training years ago but was not familiar with the controls of the Cessna twin-engine plane on Monday evening when her husband passed out, said Keith Kasbohm, director of Cherryland Airport near Sturgeon Bay.

Another pilot took to the skies to guide Collins to the ground, but she had to land the aircraft herself.

“She was on her last attempt to get lined up with the runway,” Kasbohm said. “She reported one engine was sputtering on that last attempt to land. We were all watching and knew she had to do it.”

Collins’ 81-year-old husband, John, was later pronounced dead at a hospital.

Helen Collins had called 911 from the Cessna prompting air traffic controllers in Green Bay to alert Kasbohm.

“The first thing I thought of is, ‘We have to find someone to help talk this woman down,”’ he said.

Kasbohm called Robert Vuksanovic, a pilot who lived just a mile from the airport. Vuksanovic jumped in another plane owned by the Collins and flew up to meet the Cessna while instructing the novice on the radio.

“He felt it would be easier,” Kasbohm said. “With him alongside of her he could control her speed and altitude” before she attempted a landing.