A 23-year-old pilot skillfully guided her malfunctioning twin-engine Piper aircraft into the Atlantic Ocean off Boca Raton, Florida, on Saturday morning, walking away uninjured after a controlled water landing that unfolded in front of stunned beachgoers and drew a rapid local rescue response.
What should have been a routine flight across open water turned into a high-stakes emergency. Faith Tenkley, 23, was alone in her family’s twin-engine Piper PA-30 aircraft, planning to fly roughly 150 miles from Fort Myers to pick up her parents in the Bahamas. Instead, mechanical trouble forced a dramatic shift in plans high above the Florida coastline.
Mechanical Failures Force a Divergent Path Over Boca Raton
Problems began about 15 miles west of Boca Raton when Tenkley experienced mechanical issues with the aircraft. Her initial strategy was straightforward: divert toward Boca Raton Airport and execute an emergency landing on solid ground. Clara Bennett, executive director of the Boca Raton Airport Authority, confirmed that the aircraft had been cleared to land at the facility after the emergency was declared.
That plan unraveled quickly as compounding failures stacked against the young pilot. Tenkley realized her landing gear was broken, and simultaneously, the aircraft’s right engine failed. Carrying a significant amount of fuel for the cross-water journey to the Bahamas, Tenkley faced a severe hazard: attempting a wheels-up landing on a paved runway under those conditions carried a high risk of triggering a fire. With options vanishing, she made the critical choice to steer the aircraft toward the Atlantic Ocean.
A Controlled Descent Past Beachgoers and Paddleboarders
The aircraft approached the shore near 250 S. Ocean Blvd., prompting police to advise the public to stay clear of the area close to West Palmetto Park Road. Below, beachgoers enjoying a Saturday morning at South Beach Park suddenly found themselves watching the descent in real time. Maria Marks described the surreal moment to local media: One second I’m spraying sunscreen on my kid. The next I’m looking up and saying, ‘Is that supposed to be happening?’
Footage shared on social media captured the aircraft executing a low approach, dodging both buildings and paddleboarders before finding an open stretch of water. Out on the water, Michael and Alexis Arizzi were boating with their toddler when they witnessed the descent. The plane was making a slow descent and delicately landed into the water,
Alexis Arizzi told WPBF.
After the aircraft settled into the sea, Tenkley managed to get out unaided. A lifeguard reached the scene within a minute, backed closely by a Boca Raton Fire Rescue boat, while Alexis Arizzi notified the Coast Guard.
Professional Praise and the Investigation Ahead
Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson Cassandra Nolan identified the aircraft as a Piper PA30-series twin-engine propeller plane, which had originally departed from Page Field in Fort Myers and was bound for South Bimini Airport. Though Tenkley was taken to a local hospital as a precaution, authorities confirmed she sustained no injuries.
A pilot who witnessed the incident from the shore praised Tenkley’s execution of the emergency landing, noting that keeping the aircraft intact through the touchdown was the textbook priority in a forced water landing. As hours passed, the plane slowly sank deeper into the Atlantic until only its tail remained visible above the surface, serving as a marker for salvage crews preparing to tow the wreckage ashore. The FAA will lead the investigation into the exact mechanical causes behind the engine failure and landing gear malfunction.
