Piper N132ND Beach Landing near JFK

[keith]

That's the most bizarre exchange I've ever heard.

Truth be told, I'm just glad he didn't kill anyone.  Based on the absolutely horrific judgment he displayed here,  I'm going to hazard a guess that he was not firing on all six cylinders here.  His grasp on right/wrong, the response to traffic calls ("hey, that was a big one!")....something isn't wired right upstairs.

A lot of people are saying things like, "something isn't right here..."  Is that what you guys are eluding to? Or...something else?

[dgabriel]

Yea exactly. Something isn't right as in this Guy is a wierdo. Seriously I'm a 21 year old private pilot in California. ...and I always carry myself in the most professional way in aviation. There's a place in time to screw around....and here in aviation we don't screw around with safety and protocol. This Guy is way out of line. Hard to believe some of us work hard to become pilots Just to have some screwball like This one showing the general public the unprofessional side of GA...the only side that gets reported to the media.....figures. well this Guy will be weeded out of the system soon. Controller was professional. .....A+!

[StuSEL]

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N132ND/history/20110404/1620Z/KSWF/KFRG/tracklog

look at his altitude/speed and heading track....looks like he is struggling a bit with headings and power settings

What are you trying to suggest? He wasn't compelled to maintain a certain heading or altitude because he was VFR, though the controller may have issued a restriction at some point or another. But that's not indicative of his physical state or use of drugs or alcohol.

Also, since the airplane is owned by the flying club, this would not be an anti-repossession (or anti-"reprocessing") move. This was clearly done to impress someone.

There's no doubt in my mind that this guy will be heavily fined and revoked at the minimum.

[keith]

I agree, the headings and alts are not really relevant for a VFR flight.

The rest of it is a train wreck, though.

[MikeNYC]

Nice quote of LiveATC in the NYT:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/06/nyregion/06plane.html

[Drakoni]

I heard this live as well, and the Kennedy Controller advised Landing at your own risk tower does not approve... That controller was covering his own self when he said the landing was at his own risk, and I agree I feel the controller was right in saying own risk landing...

[demento21]

I don't usually wish anything bad on people, but this guy needs to be punished for his actions. I hope the plane's insurance company subrogates and recoups their losses from this guy.

[wagner]

NY Post Update on N132ND Beach Landing Near JFK

Pilot's weird excuses to land on Queens beach
By BILL SANDERSON, JAMIE SCHRAM and PERRY CHIARAMONTE

Last Updated: 5:45 AM, April 6, 2011

Posted: 1:40 AM, April 6, 2011

He just wanted to go to the beach!

Joyriding pilot Jason Maloney made every loopy, bizarre excuse in the book to air-traffic controllers to justify setting down his single-engine Piper in shallow water off the Rockaways shoreline Monday evening -- while dodging giant passenger jetliners taking off from Kennedy Airport in the process.

In the oddball transmissions, Maloney, 24, claimed he landed because he had a sick passenger or because his engine was "a little teeeensy bit rough" -- although he made a series of seemingly implausible excuses to land on the sand.

"Whooooa . . . What if I want to hide from you?" he radioed after a controller said radar showed his plane east of Jones Beach.

"This might be crazy," Maloney radioed a few minutes later. "But are we allowed to land on the beach?"

"I don't think so, unless it was an emergency," the controller answered.

"I'm a paramedic, uhhh, is there anyone I can ask?" he responded, before asking, "Any private beaches around?"

The transmissions were odd from the get-go.

Soon after taking off from Republic Airport in Farmingdale, Maloney asked if he could land his plane with its two passengers -- Clarke Oler, 22, and Chelsea Protter, 21, both Long Islanders -- at JFK.

He said he wanted to "drop a pastor off at JFK who is doing some medical mission work. Where would I drop him off at your airport?"

The controller advised Maloney to check with the Port Authority.

After Maloney finally landed -- without declaring an emergency -- he incredibly didn't understand why his stunt enraged FAA officials.

"It happens in Alaska all the time!" he told cops, sources said.

"Welcome to New York," a cop replied.

Maloney's high jinks could cost him his pilot's license, and he might be fined.

"He doesn't sound drunk. He doesn't sound stoned. He sounds like a jerk. He was looking for somebody to tell him to do that -- land on the water," a law-enforcement source said after listening to the audio recording.

bill.sanderson@nypost.com

[VampyreGTX]

Nice quote of LiveATC in the NYT:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/06/nyregion/06plane.html

ugh.... I was just thinking that this morning about 'Flying Wild Alaska.' I kept telling myself that no way would a pilot mimic something he sees on TV, in blatant violation of ATC instructions, common sense, and probably, multiple FARs.  Looks like I was wrong, as now he's saying that's why he did it?!

[joeyb747]

Wow...this is a pretty unreal story. I never would have thought a show like "Flying Wild Alaska" would need a "Mythbusters" like "DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME" message at the beginning...

[dyson6974]

I went to High School with Clarke Oler, the passenger on this flight, he is not a stranger to drugs and alcohol

[Cloud splitter]

Wow, this guy was a complete idiot. There is no way this person should have a certification, let alone a license.  He's acting like its all a big joke, and totally uses terrible radio comms.   Sounds like he he was just wanting to land on the beach, with no emergency.  He's never gonna fly again.  And good riddance.

[aevins]

That's funny because I was thinking the exact same thing. This guy watches too much Flying Wild Alaska.

[dyson6974]

This guy clearly wanted am audience for his stunt, if he wanted to land on the beach so baldly he could have flown east of republic down rober moses beach on the south shore of long island away from radar coverage instead of 3 miles from the approach end of a runway at one of the busiest airports in the world

[RCO]

Kid is in idiot.

[mike_ny]

Regarding the comment about maintaining altitude, and reference the flightaware link ...
The previous flight tracked on flightaware, appears to have been conducted with an IFR flight plan.
a. the routing shown as KSWF IGN IGN129 LOVES KFRG
b. the cruise altitude being 5000, (with subsequent descents to 4,000 nd 3,000)

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N132ND/history/20110404/1620Z/KSWF/KFRG
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N132ND/history/20110404/1620Z/KSWF/KFRG/tracklog

If he was VFR from Stewart to Republic as theorized, the routing would very unlikely appear in flightaware, (only the track would appear if he received VFR traffic advisories) and he would have been advised by the radar controller to use +500 for VFR altitudes.

All indications were the pilot filed IFR from Stewart to Republic; and then obviously departed KFRG subsequently, VFR ... which should/will be the pilot's last ever, as PIC.  

[martyj19]

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N132ND/history/20110404/1620Z/KSWF/KFRG/tracklog

look at his altitude/speed and heading track....looks like he is struggling a bit with headings and power settings

What are you trying to suggest? He wasn't compelled to maintain a certain heading or altitude because he was VFR, though the controller may have issued a restriction at some point or another. But that's not indicative of his physical state or use of drugs or alcohol.

Also, since the airplane is owned by the flying club, this would not be an anti-repossession (or anti-"reprocessing") move. This was clearly done to impress someone.

There's no doubt in my mind that this guy will be heavily fined and revoked at the minimum.

[ Ah I see someone beat me to the same analysis, but ... ]

Folks, the mere fact that there is a FlightAware entry means that it is filed IFR, though it may have been flown in VMC.  That altitude and ground track is not competently flown IFR.
Also if you note the route, it is IGN IGN129 LOVES.  LOVES intersection is a little north of Danbury and he should have turned right and gone direct to FRG at that point.  The ground track shows him meandering way around to the east.  Now of course he could have gotten a reroute or cancelled IFR; we don't know except for FlightAware reporting it as a normal arrival.

The flight that ended up in the water seems to have been after the flight from Stewart to Farmingdale.

Second the sentiment about East Coast Aero Club.  A very nicely run operation, of which I am a customer.

[dyson6974]

intrestingly Mr. Maloney asks Republic tower for instructions on how to fly up the hudson before he left republic airport enroute to his final destination, if you listen to the 2230Z to 2300Z tapes from KFRG tower you can hear the pilot asking to fly the hudson.

[dave]

[ Ah I see someone beat me to the same analysis, but ... ]

Folks, the mere fact that there is a FlightAware entry means that it is filed IFR, though it may have been flown in VMC.  That altitude and ground track is not competently flown IFR.
Also if you note the route, it is IGN IGN129 LOVES.  LOVES intersection is a little north of Danbury and he should have turned right and gone direct to FRG at that point.  The ground track shows him meandering way around to the east.  Now of course he could have gotten a reroute or cancelled IFR; we don't know except for FlightAware reporting it as a normal arrival.

The flight that ended up in the water seems to have been after the flight from Stewart to Farmingdale.

Second the sentiment about East Coast Aero Club.  A very nicely run operation, of which I am a customer.

In addition to IFR flights, flights flown VFR w/ VFR Flight Following sometimes (not always) end up in Flightaware as well.

Since there is what *appears* to be part of a standard IFR route (IGN IGN129 LOVES) for that departure/destination pair, it seems safe to assume this was supposed to be an IFR flight.

Dave

[martyj19]

intrestingly Mr. Maloney asks Republic tower for instructions on how to fly up the hudson before he left republic airport enroute to his final destination, if you listen to the 2230Z to 2300Z tapes from KFRG tower you can hear the pilot asking to fly the hudson.

If anyone else is thinking of doing this, there is a recommended online course that you should take so you know what altitude to be at (there is vertical separation between through and sightseeing traffic), and what the mandatory reporting points are, and that there better be a New York Terminal Area Chart in the airplane.

ALC-79: New York City Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA) on http://www.faasafety.gov/

[JJacober]

I think he's under the influence. Of what, I have no idea.

Under the influence of stupid

[FlyinMN]

I think he's under the influence. Of what, I have no idea.

Under the influence of stupid

I guess we'll have to go with that. 

From the NY Daily News article: Maloney didn't appear intoxicated and was not tested for drugs or alcohol, police sources said. No criminal charges are expected.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/04/05/2011-04-05_24yearold_pilot_who_landed_on_queens_beach_kept_joking_to_jfk_air_traffic_contro.html#ixzz1IlYgD1Cy

[mike_ny]

[off topic, but if of interest ... or anyone has further definitive info?]
"flights flown VFR w/ VFR Flight Following sometimes (not always) end up in Flightaware." Correct, per Flightaware FAQ's:

Can FlightAware track VFR flights?
Some VFR aircraft with flight following are available on the position maps but it largely unreliable and arrival/departure/flight plan data is often not available.

One criteria, this appears to be a function of which facility(ies) provide the radar services and whether the flight passes from one ARTCC's airspace into another. i.e. if the VFR flight needs to be entered into "the system" prior to handoff.
-VFR traffic advisories wholly provided by NY TRACON: less likely to appear in flightaware (KHPN to KFRG)
-VFR radar services where the route of flight crosses ARTCC boundaries, NY to Boston ARTCC (KFRG to KMHT), NY to Washington (KFRG to KIAD), NY to Canada (KSWF to CYQB) etc., pretty much always appear in flightaware.
And this is independent of whether the radar facilities are TRACONs or Centers.

A second criteria appears to be whether a Center controller provides VFR radar services. (KBTV to KHFD). These appear to most always be entered into "the system" and therefore, appear on flightaware.

If any real world air traffic controllers in the Northeast US have additional details, information greatly appreciated.
[apology for sidetracking the forum topic thread. ]

p.s. the filed, and subsequently assigned arrival, depicted here: http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N132ND/history/20110404/1620Z/KSWF/KFRG
looks like KSWF IGN LOVES.PWL2 KFRG   (KSWF IGN LOVES ... BDR BELTT DPK KFRG)  ... as shown by the blue dash lines.
Actual track (green line) appears were radar vectors from BDR.

[MikeNYC]

Best comment I've seen yet (on another forum)...

Judge: "...do you understand the serious charges that you will be facing?"

Asshat Pilot: "Rah Jaaaaaah!"

[FlyinMN]

Looks like the day after isn't going well either.

The air-headed pilot who made a dubious emergency landing on a Rockaways beach was rushed to the hospital Wednesday.

Jason Maloney, 24, had been sequestered at his Cornwall, N.Y., home since his dramatic splashdown Monday night.

Embarrassing recordings captured Maloney cracking jokes at air traffic controllers and offering baffling, conflicting reasons for wanting to land.


Maloney was carried shoeless from his home in a chair by medical workers Wednesday, who transferred him to a gurney and loaded him into an ambulance.

He was experiencing seizures, an emergency worker said.

Maloney landed in shallow water with two passengers aboard Monday after telling air traffic controllers he had an engine running "a little teensy, teensy bit rough."


Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/04/06/2011-04-06_24yearold_pilot_who_landed_plane_on_queens_beach_rushed_to_hospital_for_seizures.html#ixzz1ImMxZB5V