Florida Pilot Ditches Twin-Engine Piper Into Atlantic — Survives
Young Pilot Makes Incredible Emergency Water Landing Off Florida Beach — And Swims to Safety!
What Happened?
Imagine you’re at the beach, spraying sunscreen on your kid, when suddenly you look up and see a plane coming down… into the ocean! That’s exactly what happened on a Saturday morning in Boca Raton, Florida. But here’s the amazing part — the pilot walked (well, swam) away completely uninjured!
Meet the Pilot: Faith Tenkley
Important Point: Faith Tenkley is only 23 years old and has been a pilot for four years. She was flying her family’s twin-engine Piper airplane all by herself.
- Age: 23
- Experience: 4 years as a pilot
- Plane: Twin-engine Piper (a small aircraft with two engines)
- Trip: Flying from Fort Myers, Florida to Bimini, Bahamas to pick up her parents
- Status: Only person on board
The Emergency: Step by Step
1. Trouble Starts
About 15 miles west of Boca Raton, Faith’s plane started having mechanical problems.
2. First Plan: Divert to Airport
She initially decided to land at Boca Raton Airport instead of continuing to the Bahamas.
3. More Problems!
Then two big things went wrong:
- The landing gear malfunctioned (the wheels wouldn’t come down properly)
- The right engine failed
4. Tough Decision
Faith realized a "hard landing" on the runway with broken landing gear and a full tank of gas (she had just refueled) could cause a fire or explosion.
5. The Brave Choice
She made a split-second decision to ditch the plane in the ocean instead — a maneuver pilots call "ditching."
The Amazing Water Landing
Faith showed incredible skill:
- Maneuvered around buildings near the coast
- Avoided paddleboarders in the water
- Found an open stretch of water right next to the beach
- Made a smooth, controlled landing at about 9:40 a.m.
Witness Praise: A pilot who was watching from the beach said Faith handled the emergency perfectly — the plane stayed in one piece and made a "delicate" landing!
The Lightning-Fast Rescue
| Time | What Happened |
|---|---|
| Impact | Plane touches down in ocean near 250 South Ocean Blvd. |
| ~1 minute later | Lifeguard reaches Faith in the water |
| Shortly after | Boca Raton Ocean Rescue fire boat arrives |
| Result | Faith safely brought to shore, taken to hospital as precaution — NO INJURIES! |
The Funny Mix-Up
Here’s a cute detail: Faith was wearing a long skirt over her bikini. When she took off the skirt to swim to shore, people on the beach saw a woman in a bikini helping someone and assumed she was a surfer rescuing a male pilot!
Faith’s Message: She actually did an interview specifically to clear this up — SHE was the pilot, and the lifeguard (a man) rescued HER!
What Witnesses Saw
"One second I’m spraying sunscreen on my kid. The next I’m looking up and saying, ‘Is that supposed to be happening?’"
— Maria Marks, beachgoer
Another witness, Alexis Arizzi, said the plane made a slow descent and "delicately landed" on the water.
Why This Is So Impressive
- Stayed calm under extreme pressure
- Made smart decisions quickly (avoiding people, choosing water over runway)
- Executed a difficult maneuver perfectly — water landings are VERY tricky!
- Exited the plane and swam to safety while wearing a skirt over a bikini
- Zero injuries — just a shaken but safe pilot
Summary
Faith Tenkley, a 23-year-old pilot with 4 years experience, had a double emergency (landing gear + engine failure) while flying solo to the Bahamas. Instead of risking a fiery crash landing on a runway, she calmly ditched her plane in the ocean off a busy Florida beach — missing buildings, paddleboarders, and swimmers. She landed smoothly, swam to shore (after shedding her skirt!), and was rescued by a lifeguard within a minute. No one was hurt. The plane floated briefly, tail sticking up, before sinking. Faith later spoke out to correct the viral mix-up that a "surfer girl" had rescued a "male pilot" — nope, SHE was the pilot!
FAQ
Q: How old was the pilot?
A: Faith Tenkley was 23 years old.
Q: Was anyone else on the plane?
A: No, she was the only person on board.
Q: Why didn’t she land at the airport?
A: Her landing gear broke and her right engine failed. With a full tank of gas, a rough runway landing could have caused a fire.
Q: How fast was the rescue?
A: A lifeguard reached her in about one minute — incredibly fast!
Q: Did the plane sink?
A: Yes, after floating for a bit (with the tail visible above water), the plane sank intact.