A 79-year-old pilot who suffered a medical emergency while flying a plane that subsequently crashed on Martha’s Vineyard last week has died, news outlets reported.
The Cape and Islands District Attorney’s Office identified the pilot as Randolph Bonnist of Norwalk, Connecticut, WCVB reported. He died Thursday night at Boston Medical Center following the crash at Martha’s Vineyard Airport, according to the news outlet.
The pilot suffered a medical emergency upon the final approach to the airport shortly before 3:15 p.m. on Saturday, July 15, Massachusetts State Police said in a statement. The passenger, a 68-year-old Connecticut woman, then took over the controls and tried to land the small aircraft, according to a Facebook post from the West Tisbury Police Department.
The plane landed on its belly with no landing gear in a grassy area near a runway at the airport, authorities said. The aircraft’s left wing broke in half as a result of the crash.
The pilot was freed from the plane and flown by medical helicopter to a Boston hospital. He was in serious, life-threatening condition, according to law enforcement. The passenger, who suffered minor injuries, was evaluated at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital and released.
The aircraft, a six-seat 2006 Piper Meridian Turboprop, had departed from Westchester, New York earlier in the afternoon, State Police detailed.
The scene of the crash was eventually cleared, and the plane was taken to a secure location at the airport. The short runway where the plane crashed was reopened, and the airport slowly continued operations, according to the authorities.
The crash remains under investigation by the State Police and the Federal Aviation Administration.
