Piper Meridian landed by passenger KMVY...

[pattern_is_full]

Basic facts: 79-year-old pilot had medical emergency; 68-year-old female passenger got it on the ground.

She was uninjured, he is in a "life-threatening" condition and hospitalized. Aircraft has at least a broken wing.

But given it was a complex turboprop, pretty fair outcome.

https://www.boston25news.com/news/local/pilot-serious-condition-had-medical-emergency-during-plane-crash-marthas-vineyard/C6W4TYKUUNFUXFEL7QFMR7F7IY/

[Mike Flynn]

Basic facts: 79-year-old pilot had medical emergency; 68-year-old female passenger got it on the ground.

She was uninjured, he is in a "life-threatening" condition and hospitalized. Aircraft has at least a broken wing.

But given it was a complex turboprop, pretty fair outcome.

https://www.boston25news.com/news/local/pilot-serious-condition-had-medical-emergency-during-plane-crash-marthas-vineyard/C6W4TYKUUNFUXFEL7QFMR7F7IY/
I agree quite a workload for a novice on a fast aircraft. Well done that lady.I suspect it was his wife.

[EXDAC]

ADS-B Out data appears to show a normal approach with good runway alignment followed by a missed approach, a couple of orbits of the airport, then a final descent that was not close to being aligned with any runway.

The data lead me to assume that the pilot made the first approach before incapacitation. It will be interesting to find out why that approach was aborted.

I'd say it was remarkable that anyone survived.

[pattern_is_full]

It is the case that in the US (at least), some training operations offer "spouse training" of a couple of hours for a couple hundred $$ - basic "what the levers do and gauges mean, and how to use them to maintain control and get back on the ground." May or may not be a factor in this accident.

[Mike Flynn]

Many countries offer the same courses.A wise move for older people.

[SeenItAll]

This article also doesn't say whether the passenger was or was not the pilot's wife. But no matter who it was, bravo for a survivable landing. Given the complexity of the aircraft, it is hard to believe that the passenger didn't have at least some training.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/07/17/marthas-vineyard-passenger-lands-plane/

[Mike Flynn]

In my opinion she knew how to operate the radio which was a primary asset in this situation. Not a novice passenger for sure. It’s worth appreciating if you fly with a regular passenger then make them familiar with how the aircraft works and the basic controls such as undercarriage flaps and throttle.A light aircraft is only marginally more complex than a modern car.

[Lake1952]

Word came through yesterday that the 79 year old pilot passed away at Boston Medical Center. I haven't seen anything about the cause of death... I assume it was as a result of the original medical issue and not from any trauma from the "rough" landing.... after all, one of the wings was ripped away from the fuselage.

[RIVER3]

I know the couple.
He collapsed and was unconscious.
His wife attended annual simulator sessions just in case this happened.
She was always interested in flying.
Impressive coolness under pressure by her to land this aircraft for the first time on grass wheels up.
He passed away a few days later.

[EXDAC]

Impressive coolness under pressure by her to land this aircraft for the first time on grass wheels up.

I don't understand this. Why was landing gear up in a relatively confined area of grass preferable to landing on a runway with the wheels down? Would annual simulator sessions have trained her to land away from available runways?

[First_Principal]

I don't understand this...

I suggest that despite any sim training the actuality of the event would be sufficiently distressing and process-overwhelming to the extent that niceties such as wheels down might simply not be able to compete with the bigger picture? Even a fully licensed and current CPL has effectively noted just how much isn't necessarily recalled (https://www.flighttrainingaustralia.com.au/1885012/13146549-ep-85-interview-with-pilot-michelle-yeates-ditching-piper-arrow-vh-fey) at the time of an unexpected event. Thread on this one is here (https://www.pprune.org/pacific-general-aviation-questions/652416-g-light-aircraft-ditches-off-leighton-beach-wa.html)(acknowledging you've contributed to this one EXDAC).

To my mind it's commendable that the passenger managed to get the pair of them to and airport and on the ground uninjured. A couple of other things that come to mind are that it's possible if she was in communication with ATC they may have suggested wheels up on grass for some reason, and also I wondered if the sim sessions could have been carried out from the LHS? The latter may be something worth considering for anyone else training people for such events; I'd expect that using the seat they're likely to be in during any such occurrence would best assist with familiarity and control placement in the event...

FP.

[Lake1952]

There's still some unanswered questions...why gear up? I am also rather amazed that there is no video of this "landing".
The fact that this arrival involved the separation of the left wing from the fuselage at some point tells me that there was a bit if luck involved in the woman getting out of this unscathed.

[B2N2]

Very basic flying skills don’t lead to the insights required to land an airplane like that and maintain directional control to come to a stop on the runway.
It’s probably much easier to belly land it.
A belly flop on grass may have also reduced any crosswind present at the time.
Speed control, configuration and trim changes, roundups and flare, directional control…you’re expecting a lot from a non pilot.