Posted on 05/29/2004 5:34:41 AM PDT by bogeybob
A French pilot was detained after landing a private airplane at Eastern Slope Regional Airport Thursday night. U.S. Border Patrol requested law enforcement authorities detain the man until a Border Patrol officer could respond from Rangeley.
According to the police incident report, Border Patrol alerted them to the presence of an airplane that did not have clearance to be in the United States.
Fryeburg police Sgt. Michael McAllister found the airplane on the ramp at the airport when he arrived at 7:15 p.m. The pilot was found in the airport lounge using a pay phone. The man and his French passport were turned over to Border Patrol around 11:30 p.m.
Agent Monte Bennett of the Border Patrol said Friday that he could not release information on the incident though he believed the pilot was not arrested, adding that the circumstances of the man’s unauthorized presence in U.S. air space was due to “extenuating circumstances.”
He couldn't read his compass, because she is in Anglais, non?
The State of Maine is named after the French province of Maine, is it not? Perhaps the pilot was confused, and thought he was back home.
Probably just looking for a terminal that wouldn't fall down on top of him.
I'll keep you posted on this.
bump
This must be fairly common in Maine. It happened twice in the early 70's while I was at Loring AFB in Limestone, ME.
We were only about 10 miles from Canada and had about a 13,000ft runway in the middle of nowhere. For a lost pilot it must look like an answer to a prayer. One French speaking pilot actually landed his Cessna on a taxiway (it was probably bigger than most runways he used since it handled B-52s and KC-135s).
His only problem was it was the taxiway to the Alert aircraft. Alert means they are fueled, armed, (nuclear) and ready to go in minutes. If he wasn't shocked when a Security Police pickup cut him off, he was when he was dragged out of his plane and spread eagled on the ground at M-16 point. He didn't speak English and wasn't responding to commands. I was surprised he wasn't shot since he was only about 100yds from the nearest Alert aircraft.
“extenuating circumstances.”
one of kerry's french cuz'ns ???
"one of kerry's french cuz'ns ?"
Actually, he forgot which wire to connect to the Timex and was calling for instructions.
I KNOW there is no connection, but this was interesting from another post:
"ACT is currently working in 20 states. Lewiston was chosen as the Maine headquarters because the city offers easy access to both the 1st and 2nd Congressional Districts, Brown said."
[ACT setting up new offices in same state as Le Aeronaut found by accident]
Reminds me of my student pilot days. The cross-country exercise at the time was Toronto City Centre-Hamilton-St. Catharines-Toronto. About once a year a solo student would get cleared to land by the St. Catharines tower, then proceed to set down in Niagara Falls, NY.
I as in the Control Tower at RAF Greenham Common, in Novemeber of 83. The first crusie missile parts had just arrived on a C-5, when we saw a civilian vehicle head across the runway, heading straight for the C-5. This was right after the Marine barracks bombing in Lebenon, and we thought the car had explosives. Imagine the pucker factor. There was nothing we could do, as we watched some young USAF security police man ram into the car.
Jacques Yves L'Muhammed?
Guilty! Of what? ...I don't know, but guilty just the same
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