Florida passenger who landed plane after pilot passed out says he had to ‘do or die’

A Florida man who was forced to take over the controls of a small airplane last week, after the pilot had a medical emergency mid-flight, says that he did what he did because he didn’t have a choice.

Darren Harrison was flying with the pilot in a small Cessna when the pilot passed out. Harrison radioed the control tower, took the controls and landed the plane safely at Palm Beach International Airport in South Florida — even though he had no piloting experience.

“My pilot has gone incoherent,” he said during the crisis. “I have no idea how to fly the airplane.”

On Sunday, Harrison told NBC’s Today that it was an extremely sobering experience — although he kept his cool.