FAA begins investigation of planes at July 4 event

Times Daily ^ | July 11 2002 | Russ Corey

[2Trievers]

FLORENCE - An investigation into the aerial antics of two unidentified pilots during the Spirit of Freedom Celebration at McFarland Park is being conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The planes, described as a vintage military plane and a small red sport plane, treated the crowd to an impromptu air show July 4.

The only problem was that airplanes were not an official part of the day's entertainment of music, food and fireworks.

The planes flew over Pickwick Lake from the Sandy Beach area to Wilson Dam.

Deputy Police Chief Tony Logan said a report of the incident was sent to the FAA.

"I didn't see them down on the water, but several people said they got awfully close to boats and the water," Logan said.

There were even unconfirmed reports that one of the plans flew underneath O'Neal Bridge.

Logan said he and other law enforcement officials at the event were especially concerned after learning of a plane that crashed at a Fourth of July celebration in Los Angeles.

Two people in the twin-engine Cessna and two people on the ground were killed in that incident.

Logan said the first report of the flights came in about 5 p.m. He said they flew around the McFarland Park area for about two hours.

"I do know we had way over 10,000 people in the park and that our only concern was the safety of the public," Logan said.

He said all local law enforcement could do was turn over the information to the proper authority, which in this case was the FAA.

FAA spokesman Christopher White said the agency does not comment on ongoing investigations.

"We are investigating the incident that occurred in the vicinity of O'Neal Bridge on July 4," White said.

He said the agency's Flight Standards Division would determine if the pilots violated any FAA regulations. "There is a standard flight restriction nationwide that prohibits aircraft from flying over large, open-air assemblies of people," White said.

Park and Recreation Director Regina Gresham said the military plane flew mainly up and down the river. The small red plane, however, was flying close to the water and near the numerous boats that dotted the river.

Logan said on one occasion, the red plane flew over the crowd in the park.

"We will want to pursue what we can to ensure that doesn't happen in a future event," Gresham said.

White said he could not say how long the investigation would take.

"Each investigation is different and has its own timeline," he said. "We're really investigating to see if any federal aviation regulations had been broken."

Gresham said the plane's flights were videotaped.

"We have a tape of it to keep for evidence if we need it," Gresham said. "We froze some frames."

She said the videotape reveals that the pilot of the red plane was a white male. Gresham said there were no clear shots of the military style plane's pilot.

White said pilots who violate temporary flight restrictions might be subject to disciplinary action by the FAA.

"Generally, the FAA would have a range of options," White said. "If we did learn that federal aviation regulations were broken, the penalties could range from a letter of correction to revoking their pilot's certification."

The planes were reportedly escorted from the area by a trio of military jets.

Logan and Gresham said they would not have granted the pilots permission to participate in the July 4 event. "It would have been an easy call," Gresham said. "Absolutely not."

Russ Corey can be reached at 740-5738 or russ.corey@timesdaily.com.

[Inge_CAV]

That is a sea plane but I am talking about land planes.

Doubt if we can find a pic of that rumor.....for obvious reasons. : )

[HairOfTheDog]

Oh I bet you could rub out the N number CAV!

Did a little bit of stupid stuff when I was in flight school... Got away with it.

Two girls in my school did not get away with it.... they cracked up a rented plane over summer break. Buzzing along the ground at 150 knots.

[Inge_CAV]

If you are flying out of a private strip covering the N number would not be a problem.

I didn't know that you went to flight school? What did you learn to fly?

[HairOfTheDog]

Yeah, I guess it hasn't come up... Went to a 141 flight school for two years!

Got Commercial Single & Multi Engine Land and CFI...

Started flight instructing to build hours... had about 600 hours... Career just got diverted in the attempt to actually make a living. Kept getting other jobs for the winters when I couldn't fly much, and started making more money there. Tried to go back a couple times, but I ended up letting it go. Haven't flown for a couple years now...

Flight school (Community College in Eastern WA) used all Beechcraft: Sundowners for primary, Debonair for complex, Travelair for multi. hehehe - They also had a Beaver on wheels for taildragger time. What a fun rumbling rattletrap that thing was.

Favorite all time planes flown are the Piper Saratoga (powerful fast cigar looking single 6 seater) that I used to rent and a little Grumman two-seater with a sliding canopy top that felt like a little fighter to me ;~D.

Makes me sad when I think about it. Flight school was absolutely the best time of my life. Had a great bunch of friends that I met there... They all went to Alaska to build time and I lost them. I imagine a couple of them have airline jobs by now.

[Inge_CAV]

Wow! you were serious about it. I am impressed. : )

[HairOfTheDog]

I was serious, for awhile, like I said, sometimes it makes me sad that I gave it up, whenever I think about it. I have done pretty well for myself, but it is a different life than I would have had. My folks sure spent a lot of money sending me there.

Maybe someday I will take it up again. It really is fun, and one of those rare gifts to experience.

Do you fly too, I presume?

[Inge_CAV]

"and a little Grumman two-seater with a sliding canopy top that felt like a little fighter to me ;~D."

That would be a Yankee or Tiger? One or both was a hot little number.

[Inge_CAV]

"Do you fly too, I presume?"

Gave it up several years ago and sold my Cessna. It was old and slow and I loved to fly it. Sometime I will have to tell you about my experiences with my flight instructers. : )

[HairOfTheDog]

I would love to hear your stories about flight instructors! - Tell me tell me! I had great ones, and one or two bad ones.

Favorite was the retired military guy that soloed me... would screech and grab his heart when I was too low on approach... Would tell me his wife musta sent me to kill him so she could get rich on his retirement!

One bad one when I was working on my CFI, who wasted my summer, tons of hours and a lot of money trying to convince me that I was no good and knew nothing. He almost made me believe it. Passed my test after 10 hours with different instructor.

Biggest mistake was doing my high perfomance time with the guy I was dating at the time, for a lot of reasons.

Oh I don't know whether to smile or sob thinking about all this!

Yes, I had to look up the name of the Grumman model... and it was an A-5 Tiger... Very neat quick little plane. Was my favorite to rent, was the plane I got to take my mom up in after I got my license, and my grandfather, who always wanted to learn how to fly and never did. I let him fly with me. Somebody wrecked the little one I used to fly. Landed it in a clear-cut because the engine didn't sound right. A shame.

You had your own plane? - Wow... how neat. Did a lot of Cessna time flight instructing, of course... They are the workhorse of the industry. Never felt like home after training in low wings, but they are a good plane. Never could get used to being blind in turns though...

[archy]

That is a sea plane but I am talking about land planes.

Doubt if we can find a pic of that rumor.....for obvious reasons. : )

Picky, picky.... Well, if I was pulling something like that [Hey! Who left that helicopter in the top of that tree?] I'd certainly want my own trusted photog on the scene. But some artists work solely to their own personal standard, I guess. Of course a BUFF driver would likely have trusted crewdogs along. Bet it'd make a swell cockpit video....

[2Jedismom]

Boo!

[archy]

Favorite all time planes flown are the Piper Saratoga (powerful fast cigar looking single 6 seater) that I used to rent and a little Grumman two-seater with a sliding canopy top that felt like a little fighter to me ;~D.

[HairOfTheDog]

Yeah... the little guy up above felt like that to me... maybe even more nimble and light than that one!

[Inge_CAV]

My first instructer was a retired military pilot with a battered old 150 Cessna and I soloed in less than 10 hours. He was a great teacher but lost his plane and license when he and his GF ran out of fuel one night over a forest. Somehow the prop hung in the fork of a tall tree and neither one was hurt in the crash. However as he was climbing down out of the tree, he fell and scratched himself up. : )

#2, His Mom was a pilot and when he was small, she would strap him into the back seat of a cub. This guy could fly. He used Piper Tomahawks and both of us in one with a full load of fuel maxed it out. On cool days that was not a problem but on a hot summer afternoon I turned final and was about two hundred feet high of landing when a Ultalight plane cut in from the side of the runway and landed about middle way up the runway. There was nowhere to go and try to gain altitude was the only option. I will give him credit for letting me keep control of the plane as it struggled to climb. But he sure looked uncomfortable while sucking up his seat. : )

[Inge_CAV]

"Favorite was the retired military guy that soloed me... would screech and grab his heart when I was too low on approach... Would tell me his wife musta sent me to kill him so she could get rich on his retirement!"

ROFLOL!! : )

[HairOfTheDog]

However as he was climbing down out of the tree, he fell and scratched himself up. : )

That reminds me of a story I heard... About a guy who had to put it down in a freshly plowed field. He landed, gear stuck in hard and the plane flipped. He was apparently uninjured, hanging there upside down in his seat belt. When he unbuckled his seat belt, he fell straight onto his head... broke his neck and ended up paralized... Geeze, just when you think your day has gone bad enough!

[archy]

Yeah... the little guy up above felt like that to me... maybe even more nimble and light than that one! Grumman [and Northrop] have indeed turned out some nimble and light ones, big and little.

Of course, for some airplane drivers, anything is *nimble and light*....

http://www.aviationpics.com/test/watertes.jpg

[HairOfTheDog]

I still LMAO when I hear his voice in my head... "Dammit [Hair] don't kill me now!" He was a riot... everything was loud... He scared a lot of the other girls... called us the girl-type pilots, told my best friend "you wanna fly airplanes? But you're so short your eyes are in your mouth!" No, I still don't know what that means exactly! but he didn't scare me. I loved him.

[HairOfTheDog]

hehehe - that the same pilot that did the barrel roll in a 707 over Seattle? Light and nimble as can be!

Over Grumman and Northrup, I will argue that the sexiest plane ever made was/is the F-16! Had posters of it on my wall as a teenager, along with rock stars and pretty horses of course!

[Inge_CAV]

Ouch!! : (