# Pilot fakes own death (RO) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 12, 2009, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-fakes-own-death-ro/480990 "2009-01-12T21:56:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-fakes-own-death-ro/480990/1 "2009-01-12T21:56:34Z")
Talk about your not-very-well-thought-out plans… So this guy with a failing business takes off in a small plane, fakes a distress call and bails out. Military aircraft spot his plane in the air, flying on autopilot. They visualize that his windshield did not in fact implode as he reported. Meanwhile, our intrepid pilot is found on the ground after having bailed out of the plane. He inexplicably gives his driver’s license to the police who find him, who take him to a hotel. At the hotel, the security cameras helpfully tape him checking in under an assumed name, at which point he disappears into the woods. What an amazing blend of poor planning and bad luck. The guy probably ran his business like he ran his fake death attempt. :rolleyes: This whole thing reminds me of a Coen Brothers film… ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-fakes-own-death-ro/480990/2 "2009-01-12T21:59:01Z")
> [@robby](#): > > This whole thing reminds me of a Coen Brothers film… Which, if they make, ought to star William Macy again. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-fakes-own-death-ro/480990/3 "2009-01-12T22:00:15Z")
Perhaps the pilot will jump into a wood chipper as his final act… ---
**Author:** ![kasuo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8c91f0/32.png) [@kasuo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kasuo)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-fakes-own-death-ro/480990/4 "2009-01-12T22:16:37Z")
I wonder if the pilot will turn up at some port as a garbage scavenger operating a small boat. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-fakes-own-death-ro/480990/5 "2009-01-12T22:17:47Z")
Damn odd story. Thank God he did not kill anyone. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-fakes-own-death-ro/480990/6 "2009-01-12T22:20:38Z")
is there a link for this story? ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-fakes-own-death-ro/480990/7 "2009-01-12T22:21:10Z")
What happened to the plane? Did they let it run out of gas and crash, or what? never mind, details are here: [Authorities: Pilot who bailed from plane under securities probe - CNN.com](http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/01/12/florida.plane.crash/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-fakes-own-death-ro/480990/8 "2009-01-12T22:33:08Z")
Holy crap The crash site is less than 50 miles from my house! And the irony! He crashed into what has been “legally” declared the canoeing capital of florida…and here he was hundreds of miles to the north, all wet, telling the cops he was in a “canoeing accident” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-fakes-own-death-ro/480990/9 "2009-01-13T02:26:02Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > is there a link for this story? :smack: Whoops–forgot to post the link. Thanks for posting it, **Revtim**. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-fakes-own-death-ro/480990/10 "2009-01-13T02:37:55Z")
> [@kasuo](#): > > I wonder if the pilot will turn up at some port as a garbage scavenger operating a small boat. I hope he doesn’t have a pacemaker scar, it’s a real giveaway. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-fakes-own-death-ro/480990/11 "2009-01-13T03:14:47Z")
I think it says something about **tygre** and me that the minute we read that story we were trying to come up with ways that the guy could have gotten away with it. [sub]He shouldn’t have bothered with the distress call at all. And he should have let the plane autopilot into the ocean.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-fakes-own-death-ro/480990/12 "2009-01-13T03:16:25Z")
I was discussing this with another pilot over lunch. What we found most remarkable was that he was able to climb out of a six-seat Piper while in flight AND while wearing a parachute! The cockpit is tight, the door difficult to open more than a small bit while in flight, and parachutes are bulky. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-fakes-own-death-ro/480990/13 "2009-01-13T03:18:38Z")
Okay, the reference to the pacemaker scar, etc., is going right over my head, and dammit, I know I should “get it.” Help. Sir Rhosis ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-fakes-own-death-ro/480990/14 "2009-01-13T03:20:40Z")
What struck me about this whole story was the comparison to all the stories you hear about criminals’ exploits in which they would have gotten away with it, but for just one thing that went awry. For this clown, everything that could go wrong did go wrong, apparently. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-fakes-own-death-ro/480990/15 "2009-01-13T03:27:22Z")
You know? If you are going to send out a mayday that the windshield imploded and you are bleeding profusely, it would probably be a good idea to mess up the windshield and leave some blood ya know? ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-fakes-own-death-ro/480990/16 "2009-01-13T03:35:53Z")
> [@Sir\_Rhosis](#): > > Okay, the reference to the pacemaker scar, etc., is going right over my head, and dammit, I know I should “get it.” > > Help. > > Sir Rhosis Are they Rory B. Bellows references? ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-fakes-own-death-ro/480990/17 "2009-01-13T04:18:13Z")
Looks like he fills the old adage: Any idiot can run a company. The only problem is one often does. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-fakes-own-death-ro/480990/18 "2009-01-13T04:20:55Z")
> [@robby](#): > > you hear about criminals’ exploits in which they would have gotten away with it, but for just one thing that went awry. Or those meddling kids. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-fakes-own-death-ro/480990/19 "2009-01-13T05:28:43Z")
> [@Sir\_Rhosis](#): > > Okay, the reference to the pacemaker scar, etc., is going right over my head, and dammit, I know I should “get it.” > > Help. > > Sir Rhosis Krusty the Clown Just so everybody knows not to accept his personal checks. ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-fakes-own-death-ro/480990/20 "2009-01-13T05:31:34Z")
Weirdest thing… My sister dated this guy for several months in high school! He was a super “golden boy” kind of guy, and his dad was superintendent of my hometown school system. Except for the threats of suicide between golden boy moments, he was nice enough, I suppose… :eek: And very good looking…🆒 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-fakes-own-death-ro/480990.md?page=2)