Pilot dies at controls; Wife, 80, lands plane

A photo of a plane that was landed an 80-year-old woman in Wisconsin, April 2, 2012. / CBS News/WKBT

Updated 4:39 PM ET

(AP) STURGEON BAY, Wis. - An elderly woman took control of a small plane from her unconscious husband which was dangerously low on fuel and landed it on a runway at a small northeastern Wisconsin airport, the facility's director said Tuesday.

Helen Collins, 80, had some flight training years ago but was not familiar with the controls of the Cessna twin-engine plane on Monday evening when her husband passed out, said Keith Kasbohm, director of Cherryland Airport near Sturgeon Bay.

Another pilot took to the skies to guide Collins to the ground, but she had to land the aircraft herself.

"She was on her last attempt to get lined up with the runway," Kasbohm said. "She reported one engine was sputtering on that last attempt to land. We were all watching and knew she had to do it."

Collins' 81-year-old husband, John, was later pronounced dead at a hospital.

Helen Collins had called 911 from the Cessna prompting air traffic controllers in Green Bay to alert Kasbohm.

"The first thing I thought of is, `We have to find someone to help talk this woman down,"' he said.

Kasbohm called Robert Vuksanovic, a pilot who lived just a mile from the airport. Vuksanovic jumped in another plane owned by the Collins and flew up to meet the Cessna while instructing the novice on the radio.

"He felt it would be easier," Kasbohm said. "With him alongside of her he could control her speed and altitude" before she attempted a landing.

Kasbohm described Collins as "cool, calm and collected on the radio" as the aircraft made a hard landing and skidded about 1,000 feet before coming to rest.

James Collins, the son of Helen Collins, said she knew her husband had died after he fell unconscious at the controls of the plane, yet she remained calm as she landed the aircraft.

Talking to the Associated Press exclusively in a telephone interview Tuesday, James Collins said he's also a pilot and that he helped his mother via radio as the plane ran out of gas Monday evening.

Collins said his mother learned to take off and land about 30 years ago at her husband's urging, in case something happened to him. She has flown hundreds of hours by his side.

"She must have flown around here about 10 times," said Torry Lautenbach, whose property is next to the airport. "She did a really good job (landing the plane). It was amazing," Lautenbach said. "It took one bad hop and then it came back down and skidded."

The Collins, of Sturgeon Bay, own a small manufacturing company in Door County, authorities said. John Collins founded C & S Manufacturing in 1962, according to the company's website.

[rottenideas]

What about Santa Claus..?? Hes an old guy and he flies all over the world in one night.!!

[tomanyt]

Sad her husband died. Wish her the best.

[solorister]

How brave of her to make her self calm and land the plane and not panic after seing and knowing her husband had died .My condolences to her and her family , again how brave woman she is .

[mari1963]

It is irresponsible that these two ELDERLY people were flying around in a plane in the first place.( I would say the same thing about them if they were driving a semi truck!) Retirement age means just that- stop engaging in activities that you are too old to do! And flying is one of them!

Thank goodness they didn't crash and kill someone else on the ground! Ridiculous!

[retiredgustav]

Flying is a lot less stressful than driving.

[askagain]

One of my uncles had a fatal heart attack at age 51 while driving his car. Does that mean we should ban people who are 50 from driving cars? One of my grandfathers, on the other hand, owned a business until he was 82 and was healthy until he died at age 106. Which would you trust more flying an airplane?

[Mogul7]

JavMD

If you KNOW you shouldn't drive then DONT! You know your limited capabilities better than I do!

As to the pilot I referred to: (1) She gets a physical TWICE A YEAR since she is a commercial rated pilot. She also gets her personal healthcare exams. She is probably a lot more healthy AND has the training and acumen to handle her tasks. AGAIN: I will fly with her anywhere and would not want to be on the ROAD with you!! But use as much disdain with regard to her as you can. She has physicians who see her several times a year and THEY have as much confidence in her as I do. Remember : I have met her and you have not. Prejudice of someone or something you do not know is easy, is it not?

[circus2]

Wonderful story. As the saying goes, You do what you gotta do.

Good job Lady. My sympathy goes out to you and your family on your
loss of your loved one.

[silvalgal]

Amazing. Mr. Vuksanovic, the pilot of the guidance plane, did a heroic job. I used to sit in the copilot's seat, when I was a kid, flying with my dad in a Cessna, over Lake Superior in any weather. Mrs. Collins did a darn good job bringing that baby down, and under such nerve-wracking conditions. Bravo!!

[nonpolitico]

Just because she is 80, is no reason to doubt her faculties.
She should be given an award for what she did.
Imagine that, the love of your life slumped over the controls, and you take over and successfully land the aircraft.
All the bozo`s commenting adversely should clam it!
A great and brave American Lady!!
Well done there! And my condolences on your loss. Her actions were remarkable. Just typical of the way USA has gone that some folk even find fault with heroism these days!!
A great advert for the spirit of the American Woman!!!
How can the Country fail with Spirit like that.
Even Obama cannot quench THAT spirit!!

[suesark]

Your response to this article was spot on....until the last line. What on EARTH does this story about bravery have to do with politics?

[Scimajor]

Wow!! Those twine engine planes require allot of work to land. Landing a Cessna 172 is child's play in comparison.

[retiredgustav]

People die driving while cars, the results are sometime much more horific.

[netjunkie1]

Test comment,,,,, Can you read me now?





Test comment.....Can you read me now?

[netjunkie1]

I know I exercise my constitutional rights to free speech, except here on CBS, where we can't say what we will, but must stay within some sort of cbs determined discipline. It is their site, but we all know the feds (you know, the MIB's that are above the law) are always vigilante and sometimes overzealous as to who the enemy is.