'I thought she was a passenger': Witness recalls Faith Tenkley calmly walking ashore after ocean landing

BOCA RATON, FLORIDA: A routine morning run along a Boca Raton beach turned into a terrifying scene when Craig Sutton heard the engine of Faith Tenkley’s small plane and glanced toward the Atlantic.

In an exclusive interview with MEAWW, Sutton recalled seeing the aircraft, flown by 23-year-old Tenkley, flying unusually low over the water. The engine itself did not initially sound abnormal. "I could hear the engine, which is probably what made me look in the first place. The engine itself didn’t sound obviously unusual to me."

Sutton then began recording as he watched the plane approach the water.

Witness thought Faith Tenkley's plane was part of an airshow

Sutton's father is a pilot, and his experience attending airshows had him wondering if the unusual flight was an intentional maneuver. 

"My father is a pilot, and we’ve been to many airshows together, so my first thought was that the pilot might pull up at the last moment. I knew something interesting was happening, so I started recording with the Meta Oakley glasses I was wearing for my run."

He then mentioned, "What caught my attention was how low the plane was flying and how it kept getting closer to the water while still appearing to be under control."

The realization that Tenkley was actually making an emergency landing came moments later. Sutton feared the impact would be severe, but was stunned by how smoothly she brought the aircraft down.

"Once I realized the plane wasn’t going to pull up, I expected it to end very badly. Instead, I was shocked by how controlled and relatively soft the landing was. There was a significant splash, but the pilot brought the plane down incredibly smoothly. That immediately gave me some relief," he told MEAWW exclusively.

His reaction was captured in the video as the plane hit the Atlantic. "What the?! Well, that was unexpected. I don’t think that’s a plane that’s meant to land on the water."

Sutton thought Faith Tenkley was a passenger

Sutton was about half a mile away when Tenkley got out, so he did not clearly see her exit the aircraft. By the time he reached the area, she was walking through shallow water beside a lifeguard carrying a rescue surfboard.

"By the time I got close enough to see clearly, she was walking through the shallow water toward shore with a lifeguard beside her. He had a rescue surfboard with him, but it didn’t appear that she needed to use it." 

Tenkley appeared physically unharmed, though Sutton said she looked shocked after reaching the beach. Her calm demeanor initially led him to believe she was a passenger. 

"She looked fairly young and was wearing a T-shirt and bathing suit, so combined with how calm she appeared, I initially assumed she was a passenger. I later learned that she was actually the pilot and the only person on the plane," Sutton said.

Boca Raton police arrived 52 seconds after crash call

Jessica Desir, Public Information Officer for the Boca Raton Police Services Department, told MEAWW exclusively that dispatch received a report of an aircraft crashing into the ocean. "Our Public Safety Communications Center (Dispatch) received a call about an aircraft that crashed into the ocean."

The call was dispatched at 9:45:05 a.m., and the first officer arrived at 9:45:57 a.m., just 52 seconds later.

Desir said the pilot was conscious when officers arrived: "While we can’t confirm the identity of the pilot, she was conscious and responsive."

She further mentioned that the pilot was not injured but was taken to a local hospital as a precaution.

Faith Tenkley was flying to the Bahamas to pick up her parents

Tenkley had departed Page Field in Fort Myers for South Bimini Airport in the Bahamas, where she planned to pick up her parents.

Mechanical problems forced her to divert toward Boca Raton Airport. The landing gear then broke while the aircraft still had a significant fuel load, and the right engine subsequently failed.

Tenkley ultimately chose the Atlantic over attempting a potentially dangerous runway landing.

The FAA identified the aircraft as a Piper PA-39 and said it was registered to USOARFlorida LLC of Fort Myers. 

Praise for Faith Tenkley’s composure during emergency landing

For Sutton, learning that the person who had executed the landing was just 23 made the experience even more striking. "I was initially surprised by how slowly some people reacted. Part of me thinks the pilot landed so smoothly that people may have assumed it was planned. That changed quickly once everyone realized the plane was sinking."

Sutton, who has attended countless airshows alongside his pilot father, told MEAWW that he had never seen anything quite like it. "I can't say enough about the skill she showed. It truly was an incredible sight and a remarkable story. The pilot's skill under pressure was impressive on its own - and the fact that she is a young woman makes it an especially inspiring example for girls and young women."