Philadelphia Daily News | 01/17/2004 | Authorities: Pilot who buzzed area was drunk
The pilot who terrorized the airways with his erratic flying for four hours Thursday night – circling the Limerick nuclear plant and buzzing Philadelphia International Airport – was drunk, authorities said yesterday.
When he emerged from his single-engine plane, he was staggering, his eyes were bloodshot, and his pants were unbuttoned and unzipped, authorities said.
13 responses to “Pilot who buzzed area was drunk”
Nice! I feel safe. 😐
Feel safe? That’s profound.
Wow! My comments are getting harsh. I must be doing something right.
Wow! My comments are getting harsh????
I think you mean, the responses to your comments are getting harsh-
Your comments however, continue to be simple and unrelated.
KP, I live three miles from the Limerick towers. That is hardly simple and unrelated. Nice try though!
Elisa,
No apology needed, and it is you who should take the credit for a ‘nice try’.
You live in the area? I am from that area myself.
John, the guy you fear, has been flying for 30 years. Since he was 14. Solo’d at 16. He’s a helicopter pilot as well-
He has flown sick people across the country for treatment they otherwise could not afford (as a volunteer), he spends two weeks every at a summer camp for children with cancer.
Pottstown Pa has higher rates of cancer than most other towns and cities in Pa. Maybe you should focus on the facts rather than on the unlikely unfounded fears of a local business man targeting the towers. Or maybe the headlines which have reported many times over the years of scandel and unethical practices of the so called police of Limerick Township.
Now that’s a something to fear!
KP,
Since you are also from the area, it sounds like you have the same concerns. But we all die from something anyway. And I don’t give a crap how many lives this dude has saved if he flies drunk and endagers more lives. Plus, I never said that he was focusing on bringing down the towers. Since you are from the area, you know that crashing into the towers does not cause a threat. The “feel safe” comment was in a general response to drunk pilots as well as drunk drivers..etc.
I feel I should point out that I just posted text from the article, and didn’t comment on the actual content.
However, I must admit that no matter what this man has done in the past it is not a good idea to fly drunk with your pants undone around anything, but especially in this day and age around Nuclear Power Plants and populous cities. It just doesn’t make sense.
Now, I don’t know why he was doing it but I am pretty sure he wasn’t flying a sick person any where that night.
Does this one reckless act negate all the good that he has done? No. Does all the good that he has done make it alright for him to do stupid stuff like that? No.
Scott,
The reason his pant were undone, was from the police searching him after they threw him to the ground. They also pulled his coat off his shoulders leaving it to hang on his cuffed wrists.
But, the news didnt air that, let alone mention it.
No one would say this was OK, or even excusable behavior.
I do have to wonder why a local woman who stabbed her three children to death, has never been mentioned twice, filmed or given a second thought since they bled to death as she watched?
I suppose that he’s been there done that, and isnt quite what the DA is looking for to entice votes for his shot at SG.
Well I think it is obvious you have a personal connection to this man who was flying around drunk on that fateful night. And just as the people who have a personal connection to the mother who stabbed her children, you feel that many facts have been left unsaid by an uncaring and sensationalist media (which I suppose in some odd way includes me… but in a very, very, very minor way, if at all).
Do you have a valid point? Sure, there are horrible things that happen everyday that aren’t covered by the news. However, you might remember a few years ago there was an incident involving 2 planes and two large towers full of people in a little city in the North East. So you can see why this story hit a nerve with the good people of the Philadelphia area.
Blanketbaby,
I remember this incident but only what I read and heard. So for me to make reference or commenting on those involved would be impossible, presumptuous at best.
The statement below not only explains my point it; it confirms it.
“Well, I think it is obvious you have a personal connection to this man who was flying around drunk on that fateful night”
which is…
And what is obvious, is that most comments I read are written by those who believe anything they hear or read, is fact. Those knowing otherwise react to the incident itself. Not the accused stranger. To form a judgment without witnessing an incident first hand, allow for fleeting moments of personal thoughts.
Posting messages which are created with the intention of expressing righteous judgmental opinions is a sport for simple minded followers.
With all due respect to the boards and those who frequent them, I appreciate the right to free speech, it’s talking out their ass, I get sick of.
It is Blankbaby, but I can over look the spelling error, I am sure my site is full of them.
But I must point out that you did comment on the person who did this. You said:
‘John, the guy you fear, has been flying for 30 years. Since he was 14. Solo’d at 16. He’s a helicopter pilot as well-
He has flown sick people across the country for treatment they otherwise could not afford (as a volunteer), he spends two weeks every at a summer camp for children with cancer.’
I didn’t even post anything about my own feelings about the incident until you posted a comment about this.
You aren’t trying to tell me it is foolish of me to believe John was drunk while he was flying that night, are you? And a drunk man flying around a major city doesn’t disturb you at all? Sure, he has experience flying but most drunk drivers have driven for a long time too. I am sure that doesn’t help the victim’s family, ‘Sure he crashed into your daughter’s car, but he drove all the time!’
Luckily for us, nothing happened. But what if it did?
Now to you that may seem like ‘righteous judgmental opinions’ but to me, it just makes sense.
John might be a great guy, but he made a very very poor decision that night, and I am not quite sure why you are sending so much time defending him.
Blankbaby,
( sorry, I apologize for the wrong spelling, I didn’t mean it to be sarcastic or intentional)
I could not agree with you more, (with regard to lack of judgment.)This is the last post, but thanks-
I had a good time, I enjoyed the ‘back and forth’ with our posts– You’re a good sport, and you’re someone I’d want on a debate team, any day!
Take Care and please stay safe in Pa.
KP
😉
However I’m not sure I agree with you here-
“I didn’t even post anything about my own feelings”
Blankbaby, but I can … I think
I feel
but to me
I am not ….
Luckily for us…
foolish of me
I am sure that I didn’t even….
I never
…I don’t give a ….
I live …
I am sure my ….
But I ….
which I suppose …includes me….
you feel that many…
you can see have the same concerns.
why this story hit a nerve
I didn’t even …….
are you? …….
You aren’t trying
Now to you that may……
—————–
What I mean by unrelated and
Simple minded:
lacking in knowledge or expertise
Opinion
: a view, judgment, or appraisal formed in the mind about a particular matter
Righteous:
: morally right or justifiable
Sensationalism
: relying on experience or observation alone
without due regard for system and theory