Former Cape Air Pilot Goes To Prison For Lying On Medical

[Way2Broke]

BOSTON—A former Cape Air pilot whose illness caused an emergency landing in 2002 was sentenced to 16 months in prison for lying to the Federal Aviation Administration about his diabetes.
The U.S. Attorney's office said Ronald Crews hid the condition from the FAA for his entire career.
Crews suffered a diabetic seizure in the middle of a flight from Martha's Vineyard to Hyannis in February 2002.
One of the four passengers, Melanie Oswalt, landed the plane safely at Provincetown Airport, even though its landing gear didn't extend and the airport was closed.
Oswalt was a Cape Air security supervisor who was a pilot-in-training with just 48 hours flying experience.
Crews pleaded guilty last year to four counts of making false statements to a federal agency. He was sentenced Thursday in federal court in Boston.

 

[Bruce Dickenson]

Holy S!

Ron was a super nice guy, that sucks. Won't be his first time to prison, though!!!

Watch out for the cornhole, buddy.

BD

 

[EMB170Pilot]

Ron was a super nice guy, that sucks. Won't be his first time to prison, though!!!

Ummmm Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

I'm going to have to disagree with you on that.




What an a$$hole

 

[goodgig]

What was he up for before?

 

[WSurf]

What was he up for before?

Yes, Yes..... Please tell.

 

[BLing]

So did the student pilot that took over forget the gear? Or did it have a mechanical issue? What a crazy flight... I wonder if the FAA will slap the student pilot with an accident/incident. I hope not!

That guy could have killed people and deserves all that he has comming!

 

[Way2Broke]

I think she did not know to put it down. P-town is a difficult airport as it is. Kudos to her. I also just learned of his prior stint in prison. This does not paint Cape Air in a good light. Oh well, maybe Dan Wolf will come up with something good to say about all of this. Just like he did when they had to ground the whole fleet. Cape Air had a good PR department. Cape Cod is a entirely different beast.

 

[flygirl_1313]

Inquiring minds...

Check out the link below. This tells a little about his past, involving an "air to air high-speed chase."

http://www.compilots.com/news/article1218.html

As for the student pilot and gear... I'm sure she was worried about getting everyone on the ground safely. At 42 hours, I'm not sure I would have remembered to put gear down in that situation. The fact that she didn't put it down is probably good. P-town is only about 3500 feet long, so it saved her and the pax from possibly going off the end of the runway. Nice Job by her!!

 

[BoilerUP]

Diabetes can be easily hidden for years with frequent blood sugar testing, a modified low carb/low sugar diet and exercise.

Its too bad the FAA doesn't recognize the decades of medical treatment for diabetes and allow it under strict medical observation, instead of forcing people to outright lie about the condition in fear of their jobs and financial future.

 

[pilotyip]

An Emergency

So did the student pilot that took over forget the gear? Or did it have a mechanical issue? What a crazy flight... I wonder if the FAA will slap the student pilot with an accident/incident. I hope not!

That guy could have killed people and deserves all that he has comming!

It was an emergency, you deviate to the extend necessary to meet the emergency. Most likely she was not complex or Multi rated while acting as PIC on a complex, multi airplane. BTW we have hired a few Cape pilots, all great pilots.

 

[jeroom]

I wonder if this was her first solo flight?? Did she had a CFI endorsement for it?? If not the FAA might violate her for that!! u know how they are =)

 

[CaptainChris77]

Diabetes aside---this is crazy!!!

"Crews's criminal history includes an air-to-air high-speed chase with US Customs in 1984, after he blew by a Customs checkpoint in South Florida. When Customs ran him to ground, his plane was packed with cocaine, and he had a large amount of cash and a gun. Sentenced to over four years in prison, Crews was released after 11 months in a local jail.

Crews came to Cape Air's Massachusetts operation from its Florida and Caribbean operations, where he was employed beginning in 1997 (Some of Cape Air's pilots follow its seasonal traffic north and south). At the time he lived in St. Thomas, USVI. The airline has said that it had no idea of Crews's diabetes, nor of his criminal history, nor of a 1985 pilot's licence revocation for transporting drugs in an airplane. The airline conducts a records check, but it only goes back 10 years, not far enough to catch Crews's drug conviction and sentence."

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

Dedication to Cape Airs Ron Crews...

I could be a rambler from the seven dials
I don't pay taxes 'cause I never file
I don't do business that don't make me smile
I love my aeroplane 'cause she's got style
I'm a treetop flyer

I'll fly any cargo, that you can pay to run the bush league pilots, they just can't get the job done
Got to fly down into the canyon, ya' don't ever see the sun
There's no such thing as an easy run
For a treetop flyer

I'm flyin' low, I'm in high demand
Go fifteen feet over the Rio Grande
I'll blow the mesquite right up of off the sand
Seldom seen, especially when I land
I'm a treetop flyer
Born Survivor

People been asking me, "Where'd you learn to fly that way?"
Ot was over in Vietnam, chasin' NVA
The government taught me, and they taught me right,
Stay down, under the treeline, you might be alright
Treetop flyer

So I'm comin' home, I'm runnin' low and fast
I promised my woman this is gonna be my last
I get the ship down, I tie her fast
then some old boy walks up, and he says "Hey son" wanna' make some fast cash?
I'm a treetop flyer

Well there's things I am, and there's things I'm not
I am a smuggler and I could get shot
I aint going to die, I ain't goin' to get caught,
See I'm a flyin' fool, in an aeroplane that's just too hot
I'm a treetop flyer
Born survivor

 

[wmuflyguy]

Diabetes aside---this is crazy!!!

"Crews's criminal history includes an air-to-air high-speed chase with US Customs in 1984, after he blew by a Customs checkpoint in South Florida. When Customs ran him to ground, his plane was packed with cocaine, and he had a large amount of cash and a gun. Sentenced to over four years in prison, Crews was released after 11 months in a local jail.

Crews came to Cape Air's Massachusetts operation from its Florida and Caribbean operations, where he was employed beginning in 1997 (Some of Cape Air's pilots follow its seasonal traffic north and south). At the time he lived in St. Thomas, USVI. The airline has said that it had no idea of Crews's diabetes, nor of his criminal history, nor of a 1985 pilot's licence revocation for transporting drugs in an airplane. The airline conducts a records check, but it only goes back 10 years, not far enough to catch Crews's drug conviction and sentence."

I thought if you got caught transporting drugs that you got your certificates permanently revoked.

 

[CaptainChris77]

I thought if you got caught transporting drugs that you got your certificates permanently revoked.

I thought so too. Found all the info in that link posted above. http://www.compilots.com/news/article1218.html

 

[flygirl_1313]

Something doesn't add up....

He had a medical, and a private physical and nobody found diabetes?

Isn't that the whole point of the pee test?

Sounds like the prior conviction has alot to do with my he's doing time.

I don't know about you, but I definitely know some pilots who I question how much they pay their examiner to get through their medical each time. I'm sure there are some examiners who can be paid off to look the other way, or maybe they don't do the pee test at all. I also agree with the comment someone made about controlling the blood sugar, etc. I'm sure it can be done.

I think his doing time may be affected by his past actions, but he did put people's lives in danger that night... I guess I don't feel real sorry for him.

 

[LowlyPropCapt]

Diabetes can be easily hidden for years with frequent blood sugar testing, a modified low carb/low sugar diet and exercise.

Its too bad the FAA doesn't recognize the decades of medical treatment for diabetes and allow it under strict medical observation, instead of forcing people to outright lie about the condition in fear of their jobs and financial future.

The FAA does recognize the various medical advances in the area of diabetes control. I personally know several pilots, some captians, who have diabetes that they are able to control through diet.

I believe that with proper documentation, the FAA will issue a Class 1 medical for non insulin dependant diabetes sufferers.

I think this guy had bigger things to hide than a little diabetes... Lock him up and through away the key. Unforgivable complacency.

 

[BoilerUP]

I believe that with proper documentation, the FAA will issue a Class 1 medical for non insulin dependant diabetes sufferers.

This is true...I know of an ATP-rated pilot with Type II who controls it solely with exercise and diet.

My wife lost her 1st Class medical due to developing Type I at age 21; that is what I was referring more to. As an insulin-dependent diabetic, I believe you only qualify for a special issuance Third Class after jumping through a TON of hoops.

 

[DrewBlows]

Crews is a Joker, it's amazing he was even able to get a job.

I doubt the gear up would go on Oswalt's record. Even if it was considered an accident (most gear-ups are not) it's a great interview story.

"Have you ever had an emergency?"

"Have I ever!"


Stephen Stills, NICE!

I could be a rambler from the seven dials
I don't pay taxes 'cause I never file
I don't do business that don't make me smile
I love my aeroplane 'cause she's got style
I'm a treetop flyer

I'll fly any cargo, that you can pay to run the bush league pilots, they just can't get the job done
Got to fly down into the canyon, ya' don't ever see the sun
There's no such thing as an easy run
For a treetop flyer

I'm flyin' low, I'm in high demand
Go fifteen feet over the Rio Grande
I'll blow the mesquite right up of off the sand
Seldom seen, especially when I land
I'm a treetop flyer
Born Survivor

People been asking me, "Where'd you learn to fly that way?"
Ot was over in Vietnam, chasin' NVA
The government taught me, and they taught me right,
Stay down, under the treeline, you might be alright
Treetop flyer

So I'm comin' home, I'm runnin' low and fast
I promised my woman this is gonna be my last
I get the ship down, I tie her fast
then some old boy walks up, and he says "Hey son" wanna' make some fast cash?
I'm a treetop flyer

Well there's things I am, and there's things I'm not
I am a smuggler and I could get shot
I aint going to die, I ain't goin' to get caught,
See I'm a flyin' fool, in an aeroplane that's just too hot
I'm a treetop flyer
Born survivor

 

[Way2Broke]

Oswalt still works at Cape Air (Or did a year ago anyways). I don't think that Oswalt has or had any interest in becoming a professional pilot.