A passenger had no option but to take over the controls of a twin engine King Air plane, when its pilot collapsed and died.

Doug White and his family were just settling into their flight from Marco Island, Florida, to Jackson, Mississippi when the pilot lapsed into unconsciousness. Having tried to revive him, Mr White took over the controls and told his family to “start praying.”

Mr White, who has a pilot’s licence, and around 150 hours flying time in a single engine Cessna, had never flown a plane of this size and had only recently started flying again after getting his licence in 1990.

The 56 year old calmly informed air passenger control that they were in trouble and was carefully talked through the descent as he flew the plane by hand.

Mr White successfully landed the plane 30 minutes later at Fort Myers’ Southwest Florida International Airport, having told the air traffic controllers that he was in “the Lord’s hands”.