A 23-year-old pilot’s courage in safely ditching her twin-engine Piper in the Atlantic Ocean off Boca Raton, Fla., this weekend was matched by her calm humility in a statement thanking others rather than her own heroism."During the descent, my primary focus was ensuring the safety of everyone around me," Faith Tenkley, 23, said in a statement to Fox News."I was able to navigate toward open water, successfully avoiding all nearby buildings, paddleboarders and swimmers (as well as individuals using metal detectors)."Viral video shared on social media showed the unusual and markedly smooth water landing Saturday morning as onlookers gasped; yet, video showed a man with a metal detector keenly focused on his beach treasure hunt as the stunning events unfolded around him.FDNY DEPLOYS 140+ PERSONNEL TO JFK AFTER DELTA FLIGHT REPORTED WITH FLAT TIRES ON APPROACH TO LANDINGTenkley, meanwhile, was dodging buildings and a busy beach while trying to find a safe way to land a crippled aircraft."I want to express my deepest gratitude for the concern and support following my unexpected water landing yesterday," her Sunday statement began.
"I am incredibly fortunate and relieved to share that I was able to swim away from this incident."After deciding a landing at Boca Raton Airport was not the safest option I continued to the coast."Cleared by air traffic control (ATC) to land on a runway, her landing gear was malfunctioning, leaving her concerned about a hard landing with a plane still full of fuel.FAA UNVEILS NEW AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER HIRING PLAN AFTER CHIEF WARNED SYSTEM WAS ‘CHRONICALLY UNDERSTAFFED’"I want to extend my thanks to ATC for being prepared, as well as the lifeguards, firefighters and the police officers whose rapid response and professionalism ensured everyone's safety – as well as any witnesses who called for help," her statement concluded."Thank you all for your kind messages."Tenkley, who has been flying for four years, was the only person aboard her...