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General News: Cornwall Pilot Lands Plane on Beach
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| Maloney piloted a Piper Warrior plane similar to this one. |
April 07, 2011
By Charlie B. Scirbona
A young Cornwall native has gained international attention almost overnight after safely landing a single-engine plane on a beach near Kennedy Airport.
The New York Times first reported Monday that 24-year-old Jason Maloney, of Cornwall, landed a Piper Warrior on Rockaway Beach Monday evening.
As more details emerged, the story took a different turn. The Times ran a more detailed story Tuesday that explained that Maloney police told that he got the idea from the Discovery Channel show Flying Wild Alaska, which features bush pilots who often make off-runway landings.
Since then, newspapers and websites, including Gawker.com, the New York Post and even the London Daily Mail, have all run stories about the Cornwall native who landed his plane because of a sick passenger. Reports indicate he had a 21-year-old Chelsea Protter and a 22-year-old Clarke Oler on board the Piper.
On Wednesday afternoon Maloney himself became the patient. He was rushed from his Cornwall home to St. Lukes Cornwall Hospital by the Cornwall Volunteer Ambulance Corps, which was responding to a report of a man having a seizure. COVAC president Michael Bigg said the ambulance provided Maloney basic life support services. The emergency response was captured on camera by a crew from FOX News, which had staked out his family's home.
Relaxed Conversations With Air Traffic Controller
Recordings of exchanges between Maloney and the flight controller at Kennedy International Airport show that Maloney was relaxed as he flew along the Long Island shoreline.
At one point Maloney made an inquiry about where he would drop off a pastor doing medical missionary work at Kennedy, and never followed up after being told he’d have to contact the Port Authority.
A short time later, Maloney began asking the tower questions about landing on the beach. At first, he simply asked about the possibility, then said his engine “might be running a teensy, teensy bit rough.”
Following this, Maloney said he’s making a precautionary landing, and stated he had a sick passenger.
Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson resident and licensed pilot Stephen Wilkinson said that it was well within Maloney’s right to land the plane if he thought he was having engine trouble. Wilkinson has been a pilot since 1966 and has over 3000 hours of flight time logged.
“The pilot is the ultimate arbiter when it comes to the plane,” said Wilkinson. He explained that even if air traffic control gives a direction and heading to a pilot, the pilot can choose to ignore the order if he feels it will put the plane or passengers in danger.
“Every pilot has the absolute right to decide there’s something wrong with his engine and land, whether there is or if he’s concerned about it,” said Wilkinson. “They might criticize him for his decision later on the ground, but it’s his right.”
Comments:
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Mr. Cumming, if you're in fact a pilot, you know that one of the things pilots do is wait for real evidence rather than playing instant amateur investigator. Me, I'm waiting for the FAA, not some blow-dry from the Daily News or the New York Post.
posted by Stephan Wilkinson on 04/08/11 at 9:59 PM
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