Michael
Pattern Altitude
Just heard on Fox, Yet another drunk pilot who stole a 172 was forced to land in NY?? They are reporting he landed on a taxiiway. Im sure more details will be available soon.
Drunk Pilot/Theif
- Thread starter Michael
- Start date
Frank Browne
Final Approach
Michael said:
This kind of garbage is just not good. When this stuff gets reported on the news, it reinforces the negative image of GA in the eyes of the public.
MSmith
Line Up and Wait
Bill
Touchdown! Greaser!
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2005
- Messages
- 15,104
- Location
- Southeast Tennessee
- Display Name
Display name:
This page intentionally left blank
Frank Browne said:This kind of garbage is just not good. When this stuff gets reported on the news, it reinforces the negative image of GA in the eyes of the public.
Too bad we just can't pull a blanket party on inDUHviduals like this who make the unit look bad.
MSmith
Line Up and Wait
poadeleted20
Deleted
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2005
- Messages
- 31,250
How 'bout someone inventing a time machine so we can strangle them at birth?Bill Jennings said:
T Bone
Pre-takeoff checklist
I'm on it. I'll let you know when I finish (probably sometime last weekRon Levy said:
).sere
Pre-takeoff checklist
Ron Levy said:
How about a little high explosives in the shorts in the mean time?
Dave Krall CFII
Final Approach
- Joined
- Mar 4, 2005
- Messages
- 5,022
- Location
- Seattle WA
- Display Name
Display name:
Dave Krall CFII SEL SES, Cmcl HELI
Michael said:
I suppose "murdering these types" is generally frowned upon ?
cherokeeflyboy
Line Up and Wait
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2005
- Messages
- 719
- Display Name
Display name:
Cherokeeflyboy
Bill Jennings said:
Had a guy in Boot Camp that got caught stealing, a old fashoned "Blanket Party" cured him for life. (Massave bruising to the riibs)
Frank Browne
Final Approach
Bill Jennings said:
Can I assume a "blanket party" is what Private Pyle got in Full Metal Jacket?
poadeleted3
Pattern Altitude
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2005
- Messages
- 2,055
Frank Browne said:
You are correct sir. But look at how that turned out LOL.
corjulo
Line Up and Wait
I believe this same FBO had a prop fly off one of its other rentals last year. Killed two.
Not very lucky
Not very lucky
Frank Browne
Final Approach
Joe Williams said:
Yea,no kidding. Maybe....well....never mind. Yes...blanket party for this guy for sure.
poadeleted20
Deleted
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2005
- Messages
- 31,250
Luck ain't the issue, because lightning don't strike twice in the same place unless someone puts up a lightning rod. Sounds like this FBO may not be paying enough attention to details. There's no way the keys to the plane should have been accessible, and the engine won't start without them unless the person is knowledgeable enough to cut the p-leads. Remember -- "hot-wiring" will actually PREVENT the engine from starting! And props don't often just "fly off" an airplane unless somebody wasn't minding the maintenance store. One event, maybe bad luck; two events, that's a pattern.corjulo said:
Bill
Touchdown! Greaser!
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2005
- Messages
- 15,104
- Location
- Southeast Tennessee
- Display Name
Display name:
This page intentionally left blank
Ron Levy said:
Latest news on the radio this morning says the guy was an employee of the airport (mechanic), and used his badge to gain access to the airport. Being a mechanic, I assume he either had access to the keys or did cut the p-leads.
Get this, it says he did this to highlight his concern over the lack of security at his airport post 9/11. I hope he enjoys his time in prison.
wsuffa
Touchdown! Greaser!
Rumor from some folks up in Westchester County has it that the airport administrator at HPN is up in arms about this. He apparently has been talking to the press, saying things like "we've tightened security here a lot, but it doesn't do any good when irresponsible airports like Danbury allow there to be no security at all".... HPN apparently requires tail locks on tie-downs of their aircraft.
I also hear through the grapevine that when the plane stopped at HPN and was met by the security patrol, they opened the door and empty beer cans "poured out"...
It's this kind of irresponsible crap on the part of people in the GA industry that's going to get draconian restrictions on the rest of us.
I also hear through the grapevine that when the plane stopped at HPN and was met by the security patrol, they opened the door and empty beer cans "poured out"...
It's this kind of irresponsible crap on the part of people in the GA industry that's going to get draconian restrictions on the rest of us.
Michael Nyland
Filing Flight Plan
Re: Drunk Pilot/Thief
The only prop issue I am aware of was with 233PA which belonged to Danbury Flight School, a different FBO on the field. It happened last October. AFAIK, there is no connection between the two.
I use Arrow extensively and did my training there. They are a careful, safety minded operation. This will be a significant blow to them
Michael
The only prop issue I am aware of was with 233PA which belonged to Danbury Flight School, a different FBO on the field. It happened last October. AFAIK, there is no connection between the two.
I use Arrow extensively and did my training there. They are a careful, safety minded operation. This will be a significant blow to them
Michael
Skip Miller
Final Approach
Here is the article from today's NY Times. The other NY papers are screaming about lack of security and how vulnerable we the poor unsuspecting public are. This Bozo has done a world of damage to GA.
-Skip
= = = = = =
WHITE PLAINS, June 22 - The first hint that something was amiss early Wednesday at the Westchester County Airport was the erratic motion of the low-flying Cessna. Confirmation came moments later when security workers approached the aircraft and beer cans fell out of the cabin as the pilot opened the door.
Philippe Patricio, 20, of Bethel, Conn., after his arraignment yesterday in Rye Brook, N.Y. He was accused of stealing a plane from Danbury Airport and flying drunk for almost three hours with two 16-year-old friends.
It was the denouement of what turned out to be a bizarre airborne caper, one that set county and law enforcement officials into a frenzy of finger-wagging, with a new symptom in Westchester's under-age drinking epidemic and Sept. 11-style alarms over airport security.
According to Thomas Belfiore, commissioner of the Westchester County Department of Public Safety, the 20-year-old pilot, Philippe Patricio of Bethel, Conn., stole the airplane from the Danbury Municipal Airport in Connecticut some time after 1:30 a.m. and took two friends, both 16, on a joy ride. Mr. Patricio had taken several flying lessons, but he does not have a pilot's license, Mr. Belfiore said.
Low on gas and lost, Mr. Patricio, whose blood-alcohol level, 0.15, was almost twice the legal limit for driving a car, happened to find the county airport even though it was closed because of construction and the runway lights were off. He landed the plane at 4:15 a.m. on a taxiway, with the only light being that of the moon and lights from airport buildings.
"There was clearly some internal discussion about his accomplishment, especially after we physically encountered him and saw that he was visibly drunk," Mr. Belfiore said.
Mr. Patricio was "belligerent and noncompliant," Mr. Belfiore said, and the officers had to use physical force during his arrest at the airport. He was charged with reckless endangerment, criminal possession of stolen property and resisting arrest and taken into custody. Initially, Mr. Patricio was also charged with driving while intoxicated for piloting the plane on the taxiway, but prosecutors later withdrew that charge, saying it was not supported by the law.
The Westchester County district attorney, Jeanine F. Pirro, said she was considering another charge under the state's general business law, which prohibits flying an airplane while drunk.
Criminal possession of stolen property and reckless endangerment, both felonies, carry prison sentences of up to 15 years and 7 years in prison, respectively, Ms. Pirro said. The charge relating to flying an airplane under the influence of alcohol carries a sanction of 90 days in jail, she said.
Perhaps the biggest mystery centered on how Mr. Patricio gained access to the Cessna 172 Skyhawk in the first place. Mr. Belfiore said that investigators believed that Mr. Patricio had seven one-hour sessions with Arrow Aviation, the flight school that owns the plane, in November and December.
A woman who answered the phone at Arrow, who declined to give her name, said that he had had a lesson from an instructor three years ago. "That was it," she said. "I don't know him. He's never worked here." She added that there were only two sets of keys to the plane, and both were in her possession.
The Westchester County executive, Andrew J. Spano, said the incident showed the need for tighter security at small airports like Danbury. Westchester County Airport, northeast of White Plains, requires all planes to be outfitted with boots, or wheel locks. Businesses there must also do criminal background checks on all prospective employees.
"No matter how much money we spend on security, we're still vulnerable," Mr. Spano said, adding that the county spends more than $4 million on airport safety. "You can't depend on localities to have the motivation and resources to do this."
Ms. Pirro said the episode was a warning. "After all these years of dealing with the issue of under-age drinking, never once did we anticipate the consequences of flying while drunk," she said. "He endangered not just the two 16-year-olds, but an entire residential community."
-Skip
= = = = = =
WHITE PLAINS, June 22 - The first hint that something was amiss early Wednesday at the Westchester County Airport was the erratic motion of the low-flying Cessna. Confirmation came moments later when security workers approached the aircraft and beer cans fell out of the cabin as the pilot opened the door.
Philippe Patricio, 20, of Bethel, Conn., after his arraignment yesterday in Rye Brook, N.Y. He was accused of stealing a plane from Danbury Airport and flying drunk for almost three hours with two 16-year-old friends.
It was the denouement of what turned out to be a bizarre airborne caper, one that set county and law enforcement officials into a frenzy of finger-wagging, with a new symptom in Westchester's under-age drinking epidemic and Sept. 11-style alarms over airport security.
According to Thomas Belfiore, commissioner of the Westchester County Department of Public Safety, the 20-year-old pilot, Philippe Patricio of Bethel, Conn., stole the airplane from the Danbury Municipal Airport in Connecticut some time after 1:30 a.m. and took two friends, both 16, on a joy ride. Mr. Patricio had taken several flying lessons, but he does not have a pilot's license, Mr. Belfiore said.
Low on gas and lost, Mr. Patricio, whose blood-alcohol level, 0.15, was almost twice the legal limit for driving a car, happened to find the county airport even though it was closed because of construction and the runway lights were off. He landed the plane at 4:15 a.m. on a taxiway, with the only light being that of the moon and lights from airport buildings.
"There was clearly some internal discussion about his accomplishment, especially after we physically encountered him and saw that he was visibly drunk," Mr. Belfiore said.
Mr. Patricio was "belligerent and noncompliant," Mr. Belfiore said, and the officers had to use physical force during his arrest at the airport. He was charged with reckless endangerment, criminal possession of stolen property and resisting arrest and taken into custody. Initially, Mr. Patricio was also charged with driving while intoxicated for piloting the plane on the taxiway, but prosecutors later withdrew that charge, saying it was not supported by the law.
The Westchester County district attorney, Jeanine F. Pirro, said she was considering another charge under the state's general business law, which prohibits flying an airplane while drunk.
Criminal possession of stolen property and reckless endangerment, both felonies, carry prison sentences of up to 15 years and 7 years in prison, respectively, Ms. Pirro said. The charge relating to flying an airplane under the influence of alcohol carries a sanction of 90 days in jail, she said.
Perhaps the biggest mystery centered on how Mr. Patricio gained access to the Cessna 172 Skyhawk in the first place. Mr. Belfiore said that investigators believed that Mr. Patricio had seven one-hour sessions with Arrow Aviation, the flight school that owns the plane, in November and December.
A woman who answered the phone at Arrow, who declined to give her name, said that he had had a lesson from an instructor three years ago. "That was it," she said. "I don't know him. He's never worked here." She added that there were only two sets of keys to the plane, and both were in her possession.
The Westchester County executive, Andrew J. Spano, said the incident showed the need for tighter security at small airports like Danbury. Westchester County Airport, northeast of White Plains, requires all planes to be outfitted with boots, or wheel locks. Businesses there must also do criminal background checks on all prospective employees.
"No matter how much money we spend on security, we're still vulnerable," Mr. Spano said, adding that the county spends more than $4 million on airport safety. "You can't depend on localities to have the motivation and resources to do this."
Ms. Pirro said the episode was a warning. "After all these years of dealing with the issue of under-age drinking, never once did we anticipate the consequences of flying while drunk," she said. "He endangered not just the two 16-year-olds, but an entire residential community."
Michael Nyland
Filing Flight Plan
fgcason said:
I completely agree, but lets be clear on the issues here. A drunk gained illegal access to the airport, stole an airplane and recklessly endangered his own life, his accomplices' lives and random homes and lives in Westchester and Fairfield counties. He should be appropriately punished. Incidentally, while this common criminal has done incredible damage to GA, he is not part of GA: not a pilot, not a current student, not an A&P.
The other issue here is whether the airport had adequate security. While it is not quiet the Mexican Border, it would be misleading to say the perimeter could not be improved. A panel has been set up by the CT Governor to review security at all airports in CT and the foregone conclusion is that security needs to be beefed up. Additionally, did Arrow Aviation have an obligation to secure their planes beyond locking the door and securing the keys. If they did, then I suspect that many other FBO's on the field, and nationally, may want to review their own security policies.
corjulo
Line Up and Wait
OK, So here's a question
What is more dangerous. This kid joy flying a Cessna or this kid stealing an SUV and driving drunk down interstate 84. I would say drunk driving poses a far greater risk to the general public.
What is more dangerous. This kid joy flying a Cessna or this kid stealing an SUV and driving drunk down interstate 84. I would say drunk driving poses a far greater risk to the general public.
Michael Nyland
Filing Flight Plan
I would say the kid drunk driving the SUV, but that doesnt sell newspapers, and thats the absurd part of all of this. My daughter is learning how to drive. I worry about her being involved in an accidentmwith another vehicle. I do not worry at all about an airplane falling from the sky and hurting her.
On the other hand, my SUV has a relatively complex locking system, an alarm, and a steering lock. Easy for an expert to steal, less so for a common drunk. At night its garaged in a secure area, with alarms and motion detector lights. I'm under no illusion that it would be difficult to steal my SUV, but I take precautions. The question I was asking was whether we need to take greater security measures beyond isolating the keys. Because, if we dont then Arrow Aviation are completely exonerated and you will remember that earlier in this thread we were suggesting the FBO was not paying enough attention to details.
On the other hand, my SUV has a relatively complex locking system, an alarm, and a steering lock. Easy for an expert to steal, less so for a common drunk. At night its garaged in a secure area, with alarms and motion detector lights. I'm under no illusion that it would be difficult to steal my SUV, but I take precautions. The question I was asking was whether we need to take greater security measures beyond isolating the keys. Because, if we dont then Arrow Aviation are completely exonerated and you will remember that earlier in this thread we were suggesting the FBO was not paying enough attention to details.
grattonja
Line Up and Wait
Michael Nyland said:
The problem with comparing the kid in the suv to the kid in the airplane is the same problem we always have, the press angle. A drunk kid in an suv is just another poor sad case. A drunk kid in a stolen airplane is a big news story, with security and terrorism implications.
I don't know which is more dangerous. I think the drunk teenager in the stolen SUV is more of a risk to kill his buddies and himself, and some other poor driver. But... If it goes awry in the skyhawk, he could crash that think into an occupied building, a school yard, etc. Could cause some real damage in the off chance that he happened, by dumb luck, to land somewhere really populated.
It's just that the odds do not favor the kid in the plane actually hitting something that catastrophic. The SUV thief is a much better candidate for actually killing someone.
It sure doesn't bode well for owners in states that are already champing at the bit to put increased and expensive security modifications into play.
Jim G
gismo
Touchdown! Greaser!
Bill Jennings said:
Perhaps he's the same one who forgot to tighten the bolts on that other prop.