Pilot blinded in mid-air guided to safety by RAF jet
A man who had a stroke and went blind while flying a plane was guided safely to the ground by an RAF jet scrambled to come to his rescue.
Last Updated: 9:22AM GMT 07 Nov 2008, The Telegraph
Jim O'Neill was flying his Cessna plane at 15,000 feet when he suddenly lost his sight while suffering a stroke last Friday.
The 65-year-old, who had taken off from Prestwick airport and was on his way to Colchester in Essex, radioed for help and the RAF responded, sending a jet to his aid.
The military aircraft flew alongside Mr O'Neill and guided him down to land at RAF Linton-on-Ouse in north Yorkshire.
He was taken to hospital where doctors discovered that the stroke had caused blood the back of his head to put pressure on the optic nerve, blinding him.
Mr O'Neill, who is still receiving medical attention, said: "I should not be alive. I owe my life to the RAF, it was terrifying.
"Suddenly I couldn't see the dials in front of me. All there was in front of me was a blur. I was helpless at the controls."
Group Captain Mark Hopkins, station commander at Linton-on-Ouse, said: "Shepherding aircraft in this way is something we do from time to time, but this is a very strange case.
"I'm proud we could get him on the ground safely."
............The 65-year-old, who had taken off from Prestwick airport and was on his way to Colchester in Essex, radioed for help and the RAF responded, sending a jet to his aid.
The military aircraft flew alongside Mr O'Neill and guided him down to land at RAF Linton-on-Ouse in north Yorkshire.
He was taken to hospital where doctors discovered that the stroke had caused blood the back of his head to put pressure on the optic nerve, blinding him.
Mr O'Neill, who is still receiving medical attention, said: "I should not be alive. I owe my life to the RAF, it was terrifying.
"Suddenly I couldn't see the dials in front of me. All there was in front of me was a blur. I was helpless at the controls."
Group Captain Mark Hopkins, station commander at Linton-on-Ouse, said: "Shepherding aircraft in this way is something we do from time to time, but this is a very strange case.
"I'm proud we could get him on the ground safely."
This story really caught my attention because it's often how I feel as I live this life with God. There are times when I simply can't see where I'm going, and then, without knowing exactly how, God leads me, guides me, helps me to arrive safely at the goal. Each time this happens, and it happens often for a Christ follower, it feels like a miracle. How did I get through this? How did I find my way through this situation? It was God working...God leading....God speaking to bring me safely home when I would have crashed and burned if left to my own way. It's that amazing leading of God that makes this flight home such a wonderful miracle....such an exciting adventure.
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