Shortly before noon on May 10, 2022, a Cessna Caravan bound from Marsh Harbor in the Bahamas to Fort Pierce, Florida, was cruising at 12,000 feet at around 180 knots. They expected to land in 30 minutes. The weather was clear and sunny. Ken Allen was the pilot on board with his two passengers, Russ Franck, a close friend of his, and Darren Harrison, who was seated behind in the cabin. Allen had been flying for over 30 years and owned a couple of aircraft he would use to take people on short trips. However, this trip would be like no other trip they’d been on.
Franck was not a pilot, but was seated in the co-pilot’s seat. He liked to watch what was going on, but didn’t want to fly, although Allen had offered to teach him. They’d been on a fishing trip. Harrison had no flying experience but liked to listen to the chatter on the headsets. He’d previously flown with Allen before on a flight where he’d been instructing a friend. Allen warned the student pilot to watch his airspeed. Harrison asked what happens if you fly too fast, as there were “no cops around.” Allen said, “We rip our wings off, and we become a lawn dart.” The caravan was cleared to descend to 10,000 feet.
Meanwhile, at Palm Beach International Airport, air traffic controller Robert ‘Bobby’ Morgan was not supposed to be working that day, but he was covering for a co-worker. His shift was from 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM; he was on a break and reading a manual about seaplanes. As well as working in ATC, Morgan was a pilot and instructor with around 1,200 flight hours and loved to fly. “Do your homework, don’t take chances, be conservative,” he would always advise as an instructor.
An incapacitated pilot at 10,000 feet
Back in the skies, Allen suddenly said he felt unwell and said that maybe he was dehydrated. Moments later, he had passed out. He slumped to the left and inadvertently disengaged the autopilot. Harrison made his way into the cockpit, although the aircraft was now in a steep right-hand dive. The Caravan’s maximum speed was around 190 knots, and anything faster could be catastrophic. Harrison commented, “Not today. I ain’t dying today!”…