Pilot who landed plane on beach inspired by television show
April 11, 2011, 10:40 pm
Many were astounded by the recent incident in which a a 24-year-old pilot landed a Piper Warrior on Roackaway Beach, in Queens, New York, on April 4. However, perhaps even more shocking is that the pilot allegedly says he got the idea from a Discovery Channel television show, according to AVweb.
While flying the aircraft with two passengers on board, pilot Jason Maloney of Cornwall, New York, called in to the Air Traffic Control office to ask if it would be OK for him to land on the beach. After being told that it is not permissible except in serious emergency situations, Maloney calls back in moments later to report a "teensy weensy" roughness in his engine, along with an ill passenger, according to audio recordings of the event.
Recent report say that Maloney told authorities he got the idea of landing on a beach from the television series Flying Wild Alaska, which depicts the adventures of commercial pilots in Alaska, including an occasional beach landing, the source says.
Though nobody was injured, the incident could have potentially ended fatally, as the plane landed during high tide and was up to its wings in salt water when the authorities arrived.
Sometimes judgement calls may result in pilot being in a dangerous situation unexpectedly. The unforeseeable nature of some flight hazards further reinforces the importance of life insurance for pilots.
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