Scared teen takes controls of light plane over rural Australia after pilot loses consciousness

CANBERRA, Australia – A teenager has described how took he the controls of a light plane for more than half an hour after the pilot passed out during a joy flight over rural Australia.

Troy Jenkins says the Cessna 150 was only 10 minutes into a flight from the New South Wales state farming town of Forbes on Saturday afternoon when the pilot Derek Neville lost consciousness.

The 19-year-old says he had taken the controls before while flying with Neville, a family friend. Jenkins flew circles around Forbes airport for around 45 minutes before the pilot came to.

Jenkins says both men landed the plane safely.

Neville remained in hospital on Sunday undergoing tests.

Police said the air emergency could have resulted in tragedy if the pilot had not regained consciousness.