Pilot busted for dropping bag of flour out of airplane near Phoenix

[Lead Sled]

Guess it beats dropping bowling balls, then again, depends on the neighborhood.

Do you guys remember the episode on the old TV series WKRP in Cinncinati where they had the bright idea of dropping live turkeys only to find out too late that domesticated turkeys can't fly?

Actually, the best stuff to throw out of an airplane are rolls of toilet paper - it's a hoot trying to cut it up on the way down. (Did I really say that?)

'Sled

 

[mattpilot]

man.. i dropped a shiatloads of stuff from aircraft. Of course in concordance with 91.15


How does one prove adequate precautions were taken? I mean comon..... flour doesn't hurt anyone? Is a call to local authorities required to notify them you are going to drop something? Seems stupid that they try to nail him for that. Even the altitude he was flying at (supposedly "to low") shouldn't get him into trouble because he obviously was safe, since nothing happened. I doubt there were any structures in those woods.


edit:

Actually, the best stuff to throw out of an airplane are rolls of toilet paper - it's a hoot trying to cut it up on the way down. (Did I really say that?)

(i say no more)

 

[mattpilot]

deleted: Double post

 

[Lead Sled]

...flour doesn't hurt anyone...

It does if it's still in the 5 pound bags.

 

[FN FAL]

It does if it's still in the 5 pound bags.

You must be a college student...a 1 pound bag and a 5 pound bag will fall at the same speed!

Just kidding...with ya lead sled, I know what ya meant.

On a side note, the wife and I showed up at the drop zone many years ago one sunday and the jumpers were doing their annual cabbage toss. With permission from the airport of course.

They had painted a circle at the north end of runway 36 (grass strip) and they were taking 3 club memebers up at time and letting them drop a cabbage at the target.

Of course, we were all down there standing in the safest place to watch, the circle. The plane would come by, out would come a cabbage and it would land in the corn field someplace. Some were landing on the runway.

Needless to say, any vehicle that was parked on 36 automatically drew the cabbage towards it. It was almost like a magical magnetic force.

So one jumper almost got his dodge pickup drilled, so he moved it. Although to tell you the truth, it appeared to be a safe distance away to begin with. Then the golf cart almost got drilled. They moved that.

Then one of our jump pilot/skydivers shows up in his Sheriff's Department GMC Blazer 4x4 and parks 50 feet away from the circle. He had a rookie partner with him and I was a little nervous for them, so I went over and tried to convice the SGT to "move along now".

He didn't think there was going to be a problem and wanted to stay and watch the cabbage come down. So here comes the 182 and the cabbage is released. All indications were that it was going through the roof of the Blazer...there were about 10 or 15 of us standing by the Blazer and we all could tell by the fact that the cabbage appeared to not move, that it was headed our way.

The two cops realize this and jump in the truck, put it in reverse and floor it. Since the truck was on sod, it just stayed still and the only thing moving was the tire spinning out throwing sod everywhere. Everybody else ran away from the squad for their lives.

The Blazer is still spinning and not moving, when all the sudden... "Whummmmmp!" It burned in right next to the rear wheel, not more than three feet away from the spinning rear wheel. This was actually caught on tape.

The SGT backed up and left...and I'm sure him and Deputy Poopy pants went home and cleaned out their drawers.

 

[A Squared]

Unless you’re Julia Child… why would you want to have FLOUR in your plane? I think it was someone getting rid of some nose candy or disposing of Grandpa’s ashes.

Maybe even too high and confused thus snorting Grandpa’s ashes and getting rid of some nose candy!

Actually, dropping bags of flour out of airplanes is an old and time honoured tradition. they're relatively harmless, and they make a nice "poof" when they hit which makes it easy to see how close you were to the target. Many fly-ins have flour bombing contests as a fun competition.

 

[sqwkvfr]

Of course the news latched on to the "White Powder" aspect of the story. Could someone please kill someone with a different color powder so we can move on.

That is an EXCELLENT point. Would this even be news if the powder was any other color?

Leave it to the PHX local media to turn this into a circus...I get such a kick out of their "team coverage" whenever it freeking RAINS.

 

[sqwkvfr]

How does one prove adequate precautions were taken?

I'd say that if no peson or property was struck, you should be in the clear...however I don't think that the idiots at the MCSO --who are gonna hang something on someone because they got all excited over nothing-- will see it that way.

What do yo wanna bet that they book and process this poor guy in order to get "perp walk" footage on the news and to otherwise satisfy themselves?

Hopefully someone from their aviation unit will set the patrol troops straight on this issue and they can go back running their chain gangs.

 

[mar]

Whose jurisdiction?

I heard the pilot will be charged with illegal dumping.

First of all, who is pressing the charge?

There is no reg in the FARs prohibiting "illegal dumping". The only stipulation is that you drop something without creating a hazard.

I'd say that theoretically it's possible to drop a bag of flour even in PHX without creating a hazard.

So back to my point: Who's got their panties in a wad? The local law enforcement? I'd like to see a citation of the municipal code that prohibts "illegal dumping" from an aircraft.

Overzealous lawyers will be the downfall of this country.

 

[mattpilot]

I'd like to see a citation of the municipal code that prohibts "illegal dumping" from an aircraft.

Thanks to this dude most of the country will now probably adopt a similar law. happens all the time

 

[sqwkvfr]

First of all, who is pressing the charge?

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. They don't even know for sure what the "charge" is gonna be yet, but they seem confident that they'll be able to put the pilot in jail for something.

So back to my point: Who's got their panties in a wad? The local law enforcement?

The MCSO is pissed because they look like fools for over-reacting...and they think that hanging this pilot will help them save face. Perhaps isn't overt on their part, but trust me that I know that this happens.

I'd like to see a citation of the municipal code that prohibts "illegal dumping" from an aircraft.

It doesn't matter...the littering or dumping statutes don't specify what type of vehicle or even whether a vehicle be involved...if you litter, you're just as guilty if you tossed the garbage in question while walking, driving a automobile, riding a horse, or flying an aircraft.

You gotta understand something, Mar...the PHX media is as "randy," alarmist, and sensationalistic as any group of "journalists" that I've ever experienced.

Here's an example from the "East Valley Tribune." Pay special attention to the terrorist references and the "apparent miscommunication" between law enforcement and SRP:

Airdrop scare leads to recreation area evacuation

By Nick Martin, Tribune

Sheriff’s officials scrambled to evacuate part of the Tonto National Forest and put the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on alert Sunday after an airplane dropped bags of white powder near the Verde River."In the case that this was a chemical or biological attack, everyone out there would have been exposed," Maricopa County sheriff’s Sgt. Travis Anglin said.

The river also supplies water to the Valley.

But it wasn’t an attack. A man with access to an airplane had dropped flour bombs on his friends as a prank while they played paintball at Needle Rock recreation area east of Cave Creek, Anglin said.

Forest rangers saw the drop about noon. Sheriff’s officials evacuated the area and started checking the powder. About three hours later, the paintball players explained about their friend, who had flown out of Deer Valley Airport, Anglin said.

The man, whose identity was not released, could face charges, such as flying too low and dropping objects out of a plane, Anglin said.

The three-hour scare did test authorities. "It was kind of a dress rehearsal for terrorist activities," Anglin said.

One issue was an apparent miscommunication between the sheriff’s office and Salt River Project, which manages the Valley’s incoming water supply. SRP spokesman Scott Harelson said the company was not notified by sheriff’s, forest or federal officials until about two hours into the scare and only found out about the incident when the Tribune called for comment.

But Anglin said the sheriff’s office notified SRP while the scare was happening. He did not know, however, who contacted whom and said SRP may have called the sheriff’s office.

 

[mar]

If it didn't happen in my country it would be hilarious

Land of the free, home of the brave.

Jesus Christ, what are we becoming? Sniveling little cowards, I say.

I usually react to such stories with just a raised eye brow but this is borderline absurd.

I'm well acquainted with the PHX media having experienced the impeachment of Gov Meacham back in '88(?) first hand.

Lawyers. Journalists. Politicians. To hell with all of them.

 

[findtech]

I like the "man with access to an airplane" part.

 

[TDTURBO]

I know what I'll be doing next time up, hmmmm, need lots of flour and toilet paper. I just need to figure out what to attack.

Maybe a Michael Jackson Support Rally!

Land of the free, home of the brave.

Jesus Christ, what are we becoming? Sniveling little cowards, I say.

I usually react to such stories with just a raised eye brow but this is borderline absurd.

I'm well acquainted with the PHX media having experienced the impeachment of Gov Meacham back in '88(?) first hand.

Lawyers. Journalists. Politicians. To hell with all of them.

 

[redd]

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. They don't even know for sure what the "charge" is gonna be yet, but they seem confident that they'll be able to put the pilot in jail for something.The MCSO is pissed because they look like fools for over-reacting...and they think that hanging this pilot will help them save face. Perhaps isn't overt on their part, but trust me that I know that this happens.

You got that right.

This is the same sherriff that makes inmates wear pink underwear and pink jumpsuits and who also makes them sleep outside in tents in the summer in 115 degree heat during the day and about 100 degrees at night. The Sherrif's dept even called for Homeland Security on the scene over this.

I feel sorry for the guys in the plane, supposidly both pilots.

I don't think the Sherriff gets the nostalgia of the old tradition of Biplanes throwing flour sacks out during airshows.