'Atta Girl, I'm Proud Of You!': Man Guides Rookie Pilot Through Emergency Landing Over Radio

April 6, 2023

A young pilot on her third solo flight found herself in the "scariest moment" of her life.

But someone in the sky was looking out for her.

Taylor Hash on Facebook

21-year-old Taylor Hash took off in Pontiac, Michigan, on March 17 and soon learned she would have to land without a front tire.

"It was definitely the scariest moment I've had, probably in my life," the rookie pilot told TODAY.

A veteran pilot was in the air when he saw pieces of landing gear fall from her plane.

Chris Yates, the former director of aviation at SpaceX, got on the radio and calmed Taylor down while guiding her through the emergency landing.

"What's your name?" Yates asked the young pilot.

"Taylor," she responded.

As luck would have it, Taylor is also the name of his daughter, who he taught to fly planes.

"Taylor, this is Chris," he said. "My daughter's name is Taylor and I taught her to fly. We're going to be just fine, kiddo."

Yates stayed on the radio to provide words of encouragement as Taylor safely made her way to the ground.

"Atta girl, I'm proud of you!" he is heard saying over the air.

"As soon as he said that... the waterworks came," Taylor recalled.

Watch the video below.