Pilot survives emergency water landing off Boca Raton coast

A 23-year-old pilot, Faith Tenkley, survived an emergency water landing in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Boca Raton, Florida, on Saturday morning. Tenkley was piloting a twin-engine Piper aircraft from Fort Myers to the Bahamas to pick up her parents when the plane experienced multiple mechanical failures.

According to reports, the aircraft suffered an electrical issue and the failure of its right engine. Tenkley initially intended to land at the Boca Raton Airport, but a malfunction in the landing gear forced her to change course. Fearing that a landing on a runway with a heavily fueled aircraft and broken gear could cause a fire, she chose to ditch the plane in the ocean.

Witnesses on the beach described a dramatic scene as the plane flew at a low altitude, dodging buildings and paddleboarders before touching down in the water. Local lifeguards and Boca Raton Ocean Rescue crews reached the aircraft within minutes. Tenkley was able to exit the plane uninjured and was taken to a local hospital as a precaution. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are expected to investigate the cause of the incident.