You don’t expect to see a plane land in the ocean during a day at the beach, but that’s what happened over the weekend off the shore of Boca Raton in an incident that has now gotten national attention.
Saturday morning, a pilot flying a Piper aircraft experienced electrical issues en route to the Boca Raton Airport, according to Boca Raton Fire Rescue. The pilot ended up doing an emergency water landing close to 250 S. Ocean Blvd.; she was the only passenger on board the aircraft and thankfully was not injured. As a precaution, she was taken to an area hospital to be examined.
The aircraft was taken to Silver Palm Park, according to Boca Raton Recreation, where it is being disassembled and investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration.
WPBF reported that the pilot is Faith Tenkley, 23, who was flying out of Fort Myers to pick up her parents in the Bahamas. “After the landing gear and right engine failed, Tenkley determined the runway was too dangerous due to the plane having a significant amount fuel…and opted to land in an open area of the ocean,” according to a statement to the station. Tenkley has reportedly been flying planes for four years.
By Sunday, a video of the crash had gone viral on social media and news stations across the country picked up the story that thankfully has a happy ending.
This is not the first time that Boca Raton has made the news for plane crashes. In April 2025, three people were killed in a small plane crash on Glades Road and Military Trail.
