A Boca Raton police officer keeps bystanders away as a Sea Tow vessel works to move the twin-engine plane that splash-landed on Aug. 22. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star
By Rich Pollack
A 23-year-old pilot who landed her failing twin-engine plane in the ocean just off the beach in Boca Raton rather than take it on a path to the Boca Raton Airport over heavily populated areas on Aug. 22 beat the odds by swimming away unharmed.
Faith Tenkley of Fort Myers was on her way to pick up her parents in Bimini that Saturday after leaving her nearby Southwest Florida International Airport when she told air traffic controllers that her plane was experiencing engine trouble.
Tenkley, who had the option of attempting an emergency landing at the Boca Raton Airport or ditching in the ocean, chose the water and swam to the beach in front of the Marbella condominium with the help of lifeguards.
“Being able to put an airplane down in the water and get out of the plane is remarkable,” said Dave Cohen, dean of the College of Aeronautics at Lynn University in Boca Raton. “That she was able to swim away was impressive.”
What was also impressive, Cohen said, is that the Piper aircraft appeared to have remained intact.
In a statement reported by WPTV, Tenkley said that her primary focus was on ensuring the safety of everyone around her. Recognizing that flying to the airport would take her over buildings, she chose to put the plane down in the ocean, close to the shoreline but away from paddleboarders and swimmers.
Cohen said emergency water landings come with many challenges and that the odds of surviving a splash landing are not good when compared to a hard-surface landing.
“It’s a much more complicated process,” he said.
Tenkley, who has been flying for about four years, may have had several factors working to her advantage, Cohen said, including good weather, suitable water conditions and the proximity to the shoreline.
The pilot’s skill and training may also have been major factors in the landing.
Landing on water, Cohen said, is not always the best option because impact can cause the plane to break apart and waves can cause it to flip over.
“All things being equal, your preference is not to put the plane down in water,” he said.
Cohen said that pilots are trained to think about what to do and where to land in case of emergency.
In Tenkley’s case, the decision turned out to be a good one.
Tenkley, in the statement to WPTV, expressed gratitude to people who offered concern and support and said she considered herself “incredibly fortunate” to have swum away from the water landing. She thanked the air traffic controllers who guided her and first responders who were there to help her from the water, including those from Boca Raton’s ocean rescue, fire rescue and police as well as the U.S. Coast Guard.
Teams from the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will be reviewing the incident and filing reports.
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