Made An Emergency Landing On Her First Solo Flight When A Wheel Detached From Her Airplane

The 17-year-old student pilot who caught national attention when she made a successful emergency landing on her first solo flight was back in the cockpit just days after that eventful flight.

Inside Edition reports that Maggie Taraska was back at Beverly Regional Airport in Massachusetts just a few days after she landed her two-wheeled airplane on her first solo flight and walked away. The plane, a Piper Warrior, lost its right main landing gear just after Taraska had taken off on her first solo. She circled the airport for about half an hour before her instructor and air traffic controllers talked her through the landing, which she pulled off like a pro.

Taraska said she wasn't nervous as she performed her pre-flight checks prior to returning to the air. Her instructor, John Singleton, flew with her on her first flight after the incident. Her parents, both USAF veterans, watched from the ground and praised their daughter's perseverance.  

After landing, Taraska was "all smiles", according to the report. She has about 60 hours in her logbook already, and we hope she'll continue on to a career in aviation.

(Image from file captured by Tom Podolec)

FMI: Source report