Posted on 07/19/2002 12:17:30 PM PDT by mhking
Copter landing surprises neighborhood
Police are investigating incident
By Brian Whitson and Patti Rosenberg
Daily Press
July 18, 2002, 3:02 PM EDT
JAMES CITY -- When John Chwaszczewski bought his house two years ago on Magruder Lane, he wanted a quiet place to relax and vacation during the summer months.
For the most part, that had been the case -- until Saturday morning when the neighborhood quickly became less of the vacation spot and more like something out of "Men In Black."
It was about 8 a.m. when Chwaszczewski, who was doing a little painting in his detached garage, heard a thunderous sound that sounded like it was right on top of him. He looked outside and saw a white helicopter hovering just 20 feet above the garage.
"I didn't know what was going on," said Chwaszczewski, who is a semi-retired construction worker who lives most of the year in Port Monmouth, N.J.
The helicopter then swooped down, just missing the top of his house and car, and landed in a vacant lot across the street, he said.
"It damned near took off the roof of my garage," Chwaszczewski said. "I ran across the street and the first thing I did was get the number of the helicopter."
The second thing Chwaszczewski did was run back inside to get his gun. When he looked out of his house, he saw a man hidden behind a tree, Chwaszczewski said. The man wore a business suit and ran over to the helicopter carrying a large black box, he said.
"My initial reaction was, this had got to be terrorists," he said. "I fired two shots. I tried to knock the windshield out of it. I don't know if I hit anything."
Chwaszczewski would not say what kind of gun he fired. He said the helicopter took off and he thought about firing more rounds but didn't for fear of making it crash in the neighborhood.
"It just happened so quick," he said.
The pilot of the helicopter insists a panel light came on and he landed as a precaution.
Police are investigating the incident to determine whether the helicopter malfunctioned or whether the pilot had planned the landing all along.
The passenger who was picked up lives across the street from where the helicopter landed.
Police say the man may not have been hiding behind the tree, but he may have been waiting for the helicopter.
The pilot said he wasn't aware shots were being fired when he landed.
Brian Whitson can be reached at 221-7220 or by e-mail at bwhitson@dailypress.com
But which direction? Projectile design could be a factor causing precession and nutation.
It can be, depending on the airspace restrictions and specific FAA regulations governing authorized landing areas for aircraft. My suspicion is that the pilot knew better but took the chance, then tried to cover his butt by claiming a mechanical emergency.
I'm guessing that your friend was picked up by an air ambulance service. They have much more flexibility on where they can land, as a general rule, than the average commercial or privately owned helicopter, due to their unique mission.
So he runs inside, gets a gun, and starts blasting away at the chopper?
It's a funny story, but bizarre, and it sounds like Chwaszczewski needs to soothe that itchy trigger finger of his...
If the helicopter's on the ground at flat pitch, it won't have that much of an effect on the projectile's ballistics. Once in the air, at an in ground effect stationary hover, however, the air turbulence can effect the projectile (generally) upwards to some degree, based on the projectile's weight, muzzle velocity and position of the shooter to the aircraft (above or below).
Well, guess what. If he had a "panel light" it was probably a chip light -- and ya can't really take off again without at least taking a look at the chip detector in the appropriate gearbox. Convenient excuse, though.
Not half as convenient as the fact that his buddy just happened to be waiting in the lot where he had an emergency landing.
My only question is who is in more trouble, legally the idiot pilot or the idiot shooter?
Is he-in any conceivable way-under attack ? Nope.
The worst part about it is where is year-round home is located: in New Jersey-about 10 miles from where I live. Double Yikes !!
Now, perhaps, some of you will begin to grasp why NJ has the most restrictive gun laws in the USA :we have more nuts on the street than in the trees !!!
Urban legend. The only thing that hinders pistols or revolvers is the sight radius.
Good luck sorting through all the possible scenarios.
The official UN / NWO web page states that supposed observations of black helicopters are merely the rantings of right-wing, conservative gun nuts. As illustration of the fact that these dangerous right-wing, conservative, gun nut, militia extremists are lying, UN/NWO points out that its helicopters are not black, but rather are painted a very dark green.
I don't know either. I live out in the boonies, so what might be ok out where I live might not be in other areas? I also live in Texas and we tend to be pretty tolerant around here. Unlikely to find people shooting at you for landing on their property.
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.