Posted on 07/11/2004 2:01:53 AM PDT by Jet Jaguar
SANTA CLARITA, Calif. -- A single-engine plane trying to make an emergency landing on a freeway Saturday clipped a van and flipped upside down, and the pilot was arrested for flying under the influence of alcohol, authorities said.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsday.com ...
Whoops
a pilot can legally have any alcohol in their system ?
Dunno! I thought it was a bit strange myself.
And I dispute that this was a "botched landing". The pilot walked (or staggered) away. Shame about the Ercoupe, though...
It is impossible not to have any in your system.
§ 91.17 Alcohol or drugs.
(a) No person may act or attempt to act as a crewmember of a civil aircraft—
(1) Within 8 hours after the consumption of any alcoholic beverage;
(2) While under the influence of alcohol;
(3) While using any drug that affects the person's faculties in any way contrary to safety; or
(4) While having .04 percent by weight or more alcohol in the blood.
So was it really an emergency landing, i.e. an engine failure, or was he just drunk?
Are you going to be at Airventure this year?
<< (a) No person may act or attempt to act as a crewmember of a civil aircraft—
(1) Within 8 hours after the consumption of any alcoholic beverage; >>
Or, as we airframe drivers are wont to proclaim -- and to maintain:
Eight inches FRom bottles to throttles!
Blessings -- Brian
Maybe he missed a step in his checklist which is why the engine died.
Did the engine die was my question....
If it did, putting the plane down without hurting himself or anyone else would be a pretty good accomplishment sober.
South told investigators his plane's engine died and he began making an emergency landing on northbound lanes of Interstate 5. Drivers slowed down to make way but South lost control when the plane's wing clipped a van, said Officer Brian Joy of the California Highway Patrol.
But as your FOM would say 12 hours (however the smart throttle jockey, OK auto-throttle jockey would increase that to 24. Hypoxia does strange things to the body).
"South told investigators his plane's engine died and he began making an emergency landing on northbound lanes of Interstate 5."
His engine shouldn't have died in the first place if the plane was properly maintained. Or, perhaps, if it wasn't an antique like so many affordable general aviation planes are.
So as long as we have good maintenance we don't have to bother learning those pesky emergency procedures because engines will never die? Whew.... that saves a lot of work doesn't it.
like so many affordable general aviation planes are.
And your definition of affordable is?
Found his registration record. Marc A. South of Eloy, Arizona - the N number is N543B, and the aircraft is a Beech D18S, manufactured in 1947, with its certificate having been issued on April 16, 1975.
The engine was a Pratt & Whitney R985, and has no airworthiness date recorded.
And assuming that this is the same person, there's also N9393R, a 1975 Cessna A188B, built in 1975, in the "crop duster" category.
It's not that there is a legal amount.... there isn't. but .04 is the smallest detectible amount with the tests used. The 'limit' is more of an attempt at regulatory precision than a tolerable amount. The other regulations indicating 8 hours from bottle to throttle and other regulations do no allow for a "small drink" right before flying.
Usually I do. I had to cancel this year because Thursday my wife is having surgery performed on her right hand. I can't be gone for two weeks during that ordeal. I might get there for a day if we (MNDOT Aeronautics) have a VIP flight. (I'd be a pilot, not a VIP).
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.