PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLA. (WSVN) - Pilot Kenneth Allen is lucky to be alive, along with his two passengers, one of them his friend, Russel Frank.
“No doubt God was with them,” said Allen.
The two, along with Darren Harrison, were on a small plane when Allen had a health emergency.
“I said, ‘I don’t know I got a really bad headache,'” said Allen.
He then lost consciousness mid flight, which prompted Harrison, who has no flight experience, to take control of the single-engine Cessna 208.
Harrison then started talking to captain Booby Morgan in air traffic control.
“Darren was cool, calm and control, along with Rob, but Rob’s life saving instructions on the ground,” said Frank.
Video showed the flight path Harrison took when the plane was at 5,000 feet.
Morgan also happened to be a part-time flight instructor and was able to calm Harrison as he gave him directions to land the plane.
“I felt very emotional that I could help them, and it’s like a big weight came off my shoulders, and just to see you guys in person, it really, it just brings more emotion,” said Morgan.
Together, they were safely able to land the plane at Palm Beach International Airport.
Allen was quickly rushed to the hospital where doctors figured out what his stroke like symptoms really where.
“Actually suffering from an aortic dissection,” said a doctor with Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center. “We were able to extend the cat-scan all the way through to see the full extent. As soon as we knew, I called doctor Patel right away on the phone and I was like ‘we need you.'”
That’s when Dr. Patel went to work.
“His surgery was a long one, it was I think around nine hours,” said Dr. Nishant Patel.
Now that Allen’s heart is fixed, those involved in the scary situation can look back at this miracle story.
Allen spent six days at the hospital and one Monday was given the OK to go home.
Dr. Patel said there is no medical reason why Allen cannot eventually return to flying planes again.