PILOT EXPOSES N.Y. ERR PATROL

New York Post ^ | 12/29/03 | BRIAN BLOMQUIST, LARRY CELONA & WILLIAM NEUMAN

[kattracks]

December 29, 2003 -- Despite the city's high terror alert, a pleasure-tripping pilot who got lost on his way home was able to fly his small plane through restricted airspace around La Guardia Airport, down the East River and around the Statue of Liberty, authorities said yesterday. The incident sparked investigations by the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Homeland Security and had NYPD brass fuming over a dangerous gap in the city's terror-fighting capability.

[Mo1]

"I was scared to death," said Langone, of Atlantic Beach, L.I., describing how an NYPD helicopter, armed with machine guns, began escorting him out of the area after he reached the Verrazano Bridge.

I'll bet he won't make that stupid mistake again

What an Idiot!

[cmsgop]

Yup!

[leadpenny]

Forget everything about 9-11, terrorists, Homeland Security, etc. This guy is a menace and he should be fined and his license pulled indefinitely.

[My Dog Likes Me]

Remember back in Aug (?) 2001, that dope in a motorized hang glider or parachute who got caught up in the Statue of Liberty?

At first, on 9/11, I immediately thought about the hang glider guy for some reason.

[gatorbait]

He answered that he was heading back to Republic, but after passing the Brooklyn Bridge and heading for the harbor, he decided to first take a sightseeing loop around the Statue of Liberty.

So, let's see, he lied to ATC,flew into a restricted airspace,stayed there an inordinate amount of time ,violated at least 3 FARs and he's angry?

Right.Must be thatspike in the prefrontal lobe that caused this.

[Constitution Day]

Ping...

[snopercod]

Looking at the New York TAC, he would have been completely legal if he had flown down the Hudson to the Statue of Liberty under 1100'. When he took a wrong turn down the East River, he busted La Guardia's airspace, and would have still been legal had he given them a call.

Being low, he was not a danger to anybody, even LaGuardia traffic. Stupid, yes, but not a danger.

I have to laugh at all the nervous Nellies and flying-Nazi's on this thread. Where are they on automobile drivers getting lost and inadvertently traveling the wrong way on a one-way street? Should they be summarily executed? Pilloried in the public square?

[JETDRVR]

"Being low, he was not a danger to anybody, even LaGuardia traffic. Stupid, yes, but not a danger."

Very well put! Ten years ago , it was common place to see Gulfstreams/Falcons/Hawkers etc mixing it up( V Effn R) with the sunday flier types motoring down the hudson at or below 1000 ;) Ahhhh memories TEB to SWF on a VMC day used to consist of flying the Dalton(vfr sid) at or below 1000 till the Alpine radio towers.......then( depending on the aviator hheheheh) it was down to 50 feet and 350 kts....life was good;) of course theese were "deadheading empty repositioning legs"
My only word of advise to the Mooney aviator would be that he could have picked a million other places to go a bore holes in the big blue!

[snopercod]

...it was down to 50 feet and 350 kts....life was good;)

(Wiping a wistful tear from my eye...) Sounds like fun. But hot-dog stuff like that brands you a terrorist these days. Freedom is against the law now, don't you get it?

One more thing about the "incident". Sure, the guy made a dumb mistake, but we never did, right? LaGuardia had him on their radar and would have vetored any heavy metal traffic out of his way. The system worked.

[JETDRVR]

"Freedom is against the law now, don't you get it? "

Believe me I do get it! All I was trying ( not very well) to point out how ten years ago ............ I know you get it ;)
Now a days in this brave new world of ours "dumb mistakes " can be deadly serious.
The "hot-dogging" days are over for the most part in Bizav/corpav, thats for sure! The most derring do that our flight dept dun dood, was a two ship quasi missing man (falc2000-Citation XL) for a board member funeral last year.
IMHO thankfully said Mooney driver and pax did not become 30mm fodder!

[bvw]

The Playright of All Creation's bit of dramatic foreshadowing, that was.

[snopercod]

thankfully said Mooney driver and pax did not become 30mm fodder!

It's going to happen sooner or later. The feds will shoot down an airliner full of innocents, or a Cessna with a family returning home.

The Nazi's here on FR will probably cheer.

(I learned to fly out in Phoenix, where they still have lots of uncontrolled airspace ;-)

[bvw]

Yes, it did. What horror had the man been shot down. Impressive discretion shown by the Police and authorites! They worked, worked well. Just like the afflicted cow was detected -- anopther major victory for a working alert system. To my view -- that beef thing was a mighty, mighty victory.

Yet the chattering scoundrels make it a defeat and monger false levels and directions of fear!

Of course, Mr. Michael Mayor Bloomberg had to greaviously insult the pilot's actions, adding to the burdern of that simple mistake in VFR flying. And burdening the general non-aviation community with unnecessary confusion.

[snopercod]

What did Bloomberg say?

[bvw]

Heard something on WABC -- the current Mayor was spouting on how he was a pilot too and would never had made such a mistake -- that it was no mistake in his view, that the Mooney pilot's lisence should be pulled.

[cynicom]

If we yanked the licence of every pilot that made such errors there would be many unemployed pilots. Over reaction is not needed or warranted.

FAA retired...

[snopercod]

Thanks. I would hope that I would never fly into controlled airspace unannounced either.

OTOH, I did it once due to an altimeter failure. $hit happens.

[snopercod]

Thank you.

[gatorbait]

FAA retired
23 more months and I'll join those ranks, too.

I still think this guy screwed the pooch. I mean,it's published, there's a restricted area on the charts and he sounds like his situational awareness was damned low.
Now what is eventually done about easing some of this, and it cannot be soon enough for me.