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'I just knew I had to keep him calm': Air traffic controller guides passenger to safely land plane at PBIA

'I just knew I had to keep him calm': Air traffic controller guides passenger to safely land plane at PBIA
WITH THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER WHO SAYS TODAY WAS NOT AN OR DINARY D.AY TARA: THAT IS RIGHT. ROBERT MORGAN DHA ORIGINALLY HAD THDAE Y OFF BUT A COWORKER ASKED HIM TO SWITCH SHIFTS. HE WAS ALSO ON A LUNCH BREAK WHEN THIS ALL HAPPENED. LOTS OF STARS HAD TO ALIGN FOR HIM TO BE IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME TO GUIDE THIS PLANE AND SAVE LIVES. MEET ROBERT MORGAN, A JUPITER RESIDENT, DAD OF THREE, AND N,OW A CERTIFIED HERO. >> I JUST FEEL LIKE ITAS W PROBABLY MEANT TO HAPPEN. TARA: IT WAS AROUND 12:30 TUESDAY WHEN ROBERT, AN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER AT PBIA WAS OUTSIDE THE TOWER READING A BOOK ON A BREAK. >> THERE’S A PASSENGER FLYING A PLANE THAT’S NOT A PILOT AND THE PILOT IS INCAPACITATED, SO TYHE SAID WE NEED TO TRY TO HELP THEM LAND THE PLANE. TARA: HE WAS THEAN M FOR THE JOB. IN ADDITION TO HIS 20 YEARS IN TOWER CONTROL, HE IS ALSO A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WITH AROUND 1200 HOURS UNDER HIS BT.EL >> I KNEW THE PLANE WAS FLYING LIKE ANY OTHER PLA.NE I STJU HAD TO KEEP HIM CM,AL POINTED AT THE RUNWAY, AND REDUCE THE POWER TO DESCEND TO LA.ND TARA: HEAD H NEVER FLOWN THE SPECIFIC MODEL, A CESSNA GRDAN CARAVAN, SO HE USED THIS PICTURE OF THE COCKPIT TO UNDERSTAND THE SPECIFICS THE NOVICE WAS WORKING WITH. >> ICE SAID, WE ARE GOING TO GET YOU TO A RUNWAY, WHAT DO YOU SEE NOW? HE SAID HE WAS JUST PASSING ETH SHORELINE NEAR BOCA. TARA: TS HIIS AN ACTUAL VIDEO OF TH E FLIGHT PATH OF THE PLANE AFTER HE TOOK OVER AT 5000 FEET. >> BEFORE I KNEW IT, HE SAID, I’M ON THE GROUND, HOW DO I TURN THIS THING OFF? TARA: TOGETHER MORGAN AND THE PASSENGER PULLED OFF THE IMPOSSIBLE. THEY MET ON THE TARMACND A HUGGED IT OUT. >> IT FELT REALLY GOOD TO HELP SOMEBODY AND HE TOLD ME THAT HE WAS GOING TO GO HOME TONIGHT AND SEE HIS PREGNANT WIFE. TARA: A VERY HAPPY WIFE, I’M SURE. ROBERT MORGAN SAID HE ORIGINALLY WENT TO SCHOOL TO BE A PILOT. AFTER TODAY HES
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'I just knew I had to keep him calm': Air traffic controller guides passenger to safely land plane at PBIA
Robert Morgan is a Jupiter resident, a dad of three, and now a certified hero. It was around noon on Tuesday when Robert, an air traffic controller at PBIA, was outside the tower reading a book on a break when his co-worker yelled, "There’s a passenger flying a plane that’s not a pilot and the pilot is incapacitated so they said you need to help them try and land the plane."'More complicated than a trainer aircraft': Private pilot impressed by video of passenger landing plane at PBIA He was the man for the job. In addition to his 20 years in tower control, he is also a flight instructor with around 1,200 hours under his belt. "I knew the plane was flying like any other plane, I just knew I had to keep him calm, point him to the runway and tell him how to reduce the power so he could descend to land," Morgan said.He had never flown the specific model, a Cessna Grand Caravan, so he used a picture of the cockpit to understand the specifics the novice was working with. "I said, 'Alright, we are going to get you to a runway, what do you see now?' He said he was just passing the shoreline near Boca," Morgan said. "Before I knew it, he said, 'I’m on the ground, how do I turn this thing off?'" LISTEN: Click here to listen to audio from the Fort Pierce tower or read the full text of the log hereTogether, Morgan and the passenger, who has been identified as Darren Harrison, had pulled off the impossible. They met on the tarmac and hugged it out. "It felt really good to help somebody and he told me that he couldn’t wait to get home and hug his pregnant wife," Morgan said.Video below: Plane makes emergency landing at PBIAThe name of the pilot has not been released. He underwent surgery for a life-threatening emergency and was released from the hospital Monday.'Absolutely incredible': Pilot reacts to passenger with no flight experience landing plane at Palm Beach Int. Airport

Robert Morgan is a Jupiter resident, a dad of three, and now a certified hero.

It was around noon on Tuesday when Robert, an air traffic controller at PBIA, was outside the tower reading a book on a break when his co-worker yelled, "There’s a passenger flying a plane that’s not a pilot and the pilot is incapacitated so they said you need to help them try and land the plane."

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'More complicated than a trainer aircraft': Private pilot impressed by video of passenger landing plane at PBIA

He was the man for the job. In addition to his 20 years in tower control, he is also a flight instructor with around 1,200 hours under his belt.

"I knew the plane was flying like any other plane, I just knew I had to keep him calm, point him to the runway and tell him how to reduce the power so he could descend to land," Morgan said.

He had never flown the specific model, a Cessna Grand Caravan, so he used a picture of the cockpit to understand the specifics the novice was working with.

Robert Morgan looking at the map of the cockpit
Hearst Owned
looking at the map of the cockpit

"I said, 'Alright, we are going to get you to a runway, what do you see now?' He said he was just passing the shoreline near Boca," Morgan said.

"Before I knew it, he said, 'I’m on the ground, how do I turn this thing off?'"

LISTEN: Click here to listen to audio from the Fort Pierce tower or read the full text of the log here

Together, Morgan and the passenger, who has been identified as Darren Harrison, had pulled off the impossible. They met on the tarmac and hugged it out.

Robert Morgan and passenger after safe landing
Hearst Owned
Robert Morgan and passenger after safe landing

"It felt really good to help somebody and he told me that he couldn’t wait to get home and hug his pregnant wife," Morgan said.

Video below: Plane makes emergency landing at PBIA

The name of the pilot has not been released. He underwent surgery for a life-threatening emergency and was released from the hospital Monday.

'Absolutely incredible': Pilot reacts to passenger with no flight experience landing plane at Palm Beach Int. Airport