Training instructor recalls midair emergency before crash-landing plane: 'This one's for real'
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A 24-year-old flight instructor safely landed a powerless training aircraft in a busy Philadelphia park on Wednesday afternoon, narrowly missing homes and a university, after the plane lost engine power mid-flight.
The instructor, John Aytch of Mount Laurel, New Jersey, and his student, 43-year-old Dan Ackert, an off-duty Philadelphia police officer, are both expected to make a full recovery following the emergency landing.
Aytch said the incident unfolded quickly about an hour into a training flight over the Delaware River when the aircraft suddenly lost power.
"Everything really happened so fast. He was flying us back to the airport to practice some landings and noticed that we didn't have any power, and then I took controls and tried a quick little checklist, immediately looking for the best place to land," Aytch said.
READ MORE | Philadelphia training aircraft lost power before crash that injured 2, including off-duty officer
Aytch radioed air traffic control to report he would not make it back to Northeast Philadelphia Airport, where the flight school Fly Legacy Aviation is based.
With limited options below, Aytch scanned for a safe landing area.
"Coming in from the east like that over the river, you only really got the river, I-95 which was backed up with traffic, you know how the afternoon rush is, and then I knew we weren't gonna make the golf course so I saw the little park down in front of us and I thought that was our best place to land, so I tried my best to put it down in the park," he said.
The plane crash-landed into a tree in the park without injuring anyone on the ground.
"That's definitely the ultimate goal is to put it down without harming anyone else on the ground. It's definitely a good feeling knowing I didn't cause any excess damage," Aytch said.
Moments before landing, the reality of the situation set in.
"I just remember as we were about to land in the park I was like, 'Yup, this one's for real,'" he said.
First responders rescued both Aytch and Ackert. Aytch said he suffered minor injuries and is recovering at home, while Ackert remains hospitalized but is expected to recover.
"He is in good spirits. We were talking this morning, so he's doing well," Aytch said.
Officials with Fly Legacy Aviation said the aircraft, a Piper Pilot 100i, is relatively new.
"We never had a problem like this before. It's our first accident in our history," said Alex Souponetsky, the company's general manager.
Souponetsky praised Aytch's handling of the emergency.
"The main thing is not to panic, get control of the airplane and make the right decisions under pressure. John did exactly that. We could hear his radio calls with the tower; he was calm, saying he's not gonna make it to the airport, he's gonna land now," he said. "He has a great track record, great instructor... he made us all proud."
The National Transportation Safety Board has opened an investigation. A spokesperson for the NTSB said they will work with the Federal Aviation Administration, which has personnel on the ground to conduct documentation and the initial examination. There are no immediate plans to send an NTSB investigator to the scene, they added.
On Thursday, crews spent hours removing the aircraft from the park as investigators worked to determine what caused the engine failure.
Despite the close call, Aytch said he and his student are both eager to return to flying.
"I'm excited to get back in. I definitely still have the passion for aviation. Definitely want to get back in as soon as I am able to, to kind of get over the, I wouldn't necessarily call it the fear, but the anxiety of getting back in the aircraft," he said.
