The 65-year-old was flying solo from Scotland to Essex when he suffered a stroke that put pressure on his optic nerves, causing instant blindness. He broadcast a mayday call and attempted to land at Full Sutton Airfield. He could not land, so RAF Linton-on-Ouse scrambled a Tucano trainer to help him. The RAF pilot flew next to him and guided him to the base via voice instructions over the radio. Station Commander Grp. Capt. Mark Hopkins, said to BBC News: "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 to the ground safely." Mr O'Neill said: "I should not be alive. I owe my life - and those of dozens of people I could have crash-landed on - to the RAF. It was terrifying. Suddenly I couldn't see the dials in front of me".
Source: AVWeb.com
