Incident Details
A floatplane was being flown when the pilot became incapacitated, forcing a non-pilot passenger to take control. The passenger contacted the air traffic control tower at Renton, Washington, for assistance. A Renton tower controller, who also held a flight instructor certificate, provided verbal guidance to talk the passenger down. The passenger executed a landing on the airport's paved runway. The landing was hard, resulting in substantial damage to the aircraft.
Pilot Condition
The pilot was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy attributed the death to 'severe arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease' and classified the manner of death as natural. An FAA second-class medical certificate, dated November 21, 1994, was found among the pilot's personal effects at the scene.
Medical History
The pilot had submitted an application for his medical certificate on November 18, 1994, in which he indicated no history of heart or vascular trouble. However, medical records from two Seattle-area hospitals documented that the pilot had been admitted in 1991 with diagnoses of myocardial infarction and coronary artery disease. These conditions are disqualifying for a second-class medical certificate under Federal Aviation Regulations.