The pilot who landed on a Long Island beach just south of John F. Kennedy airport claims he was forced down by a rough-running engine and a sick passenger, but a recording of his communication with an air traffic controller indicates the landing may have been intentional.
The 24-year-old pilot departed from Stewart International Airport with two passengers in a Piper Cherokee on Monday. He landed at Republic Airport on Long Island and took off again Monday evening. Claims of engine trouble and a sour stomach aside, a recording of his unorthodox conversation with air traffic control suggests another story. The audio, captured by LiveATC.net, includes comments that would make most pilots cringe.
"Just let us know if we're up in your grille, you know," the pilot, identified as Jason Maloney of Cornwall, New York, told a controller at JFK after being advised of nearby traffic.
At the start of the recording (.mp3), the pilot asks if he can fly low over the shoreline. JFK airspace begins 500 feet above the ground, and it isn't uncommon for transitioning aircraft to fly low over the shoreline to transition under the busy airspace.
After setting the tone for the rest of the conversation with a drawn out "rahhhjahhhh" instead of the more customary, "roger," the pilot makes an unusual request asking how to drop off a passenger at JFK.
Eventually he makes a request sure to be of interest to the Federal Aviation Administration investigators looking into the matter: "Hey tower, I've got a question for ya. This might be crazy, but are we allowed to land on the beach?"
The controller says no, he doesn't think so -- granting permission for beach landings isn't really part of his job -- and adds that it's possible only in an emergency. The pilot then declares that he's a paramedic, perhaps thinking that matters. The controller patiently explains why it's illegal to land on the beach.
"You know tower, my engine might be running a little teensy, teensy bit rough," the pilot says shortly afterward, "I'm going to make a precautionary landing, is that all right with you?"
The pilot adds that he also has a sick passenger. After landing on the beach, the controller directs a police helicopter to assist him.
According to The New York Times, Maloney reportedly asked the detective on the scene, "What's the big deal? It happens all the time in Alaska." Maloney later told police he watched the television show Flying Wild Alaska, a reality program about bush pilots.
"Welcome to New York," replied the detective.
Photo of Rockaway Beach: Théo La Photo/Flickr
