# Pilot: I'm having an... emergency. Yeah, that's the ticket! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 7, 2011, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-im-having-an-emergency-yeah-thats-the-ticket/577575 "2011-04-07T20:20:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-im-having-an-emergency-yeah-thats-the-ticket/577575/1 "2011-04-07T20:20:19Z")
A pilot apparently intentionally lands his airplane on a beach in Queens after watching _Flying Wild Alaska_. [Link with audio available](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/06/jason-maloney-pilot-who-l_n_845462.html). > [@](#): > > “He doesn’t sound drunk. He doesn’t sound stoned. He sounds like a jerk,” a law enforcement source told the _Post_. Rule Number One: Don’t be a jerk. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-im-having-an-emergency-yeah-thats-the-ticket/577575/2 "2011-04-07T20:49:21Z")
What an idiot! I learned to fly at NAS North Island in San Diego. Our approach back to the base required us to follow the bay , staying to the left to avoid the international airport. And it just happened that as soon as we flew over the Coronado Bridge, there was often an aircraft carrier sitting right there. I halfway wished I’d have to declare an emergency and land on the carrier - I knew I could do it! 😃 And I was also pretty sure my butt would be in a sling if I ever did… ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-im-having-an-emergency-yeah-thats-the-ticket/577575/3 "2011-04-07T20:51:37Z")
Yeah, I don’t think he’s going to be a pilot much longer. Sheesh, I wish I had that kind of money to burn. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-im-having-an-emergency-yeah-thats-the-ticket/577575/4 "2011-04-07T20:59:52Z")
Here I thought it was [this guy](http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpp/news/metro/pilot_lands_golf_course_farm_field), who landed his plane on a golf course because his son was running late for a tennis game, and the next year landed in a farmer’s field claiming mechanical problems. At least I’m pretty sure he wasn’t interfering with traffic at a major international airport, unlike the jerk linked to in the OP. ---
**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:** [April 7, 2011, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-im-having-an-emergency-yeah-thats-the-ticket/577575/5 "2011-04-07T21:56:49Z")
Hey, guys - while looking into this a bit at the request of some friends I found [this article](http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/pilot-makes-emergency-landing-beach-jfk/story?id=13309194) which alleges he had a seizure two days after the landing and was whisked to the hospital. He may be neither a jerk nor irresponsible but possibly someone with something organic/medical wrong in his brain. And if he did have a seizure his piloting career has ended more definitely than bending the rules ever could. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-im-having-an-emergency-yeah-thats-the-ticket/577575/6 "2011-04-07T22:04:25Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > He may be neither a jerk nor irresponsible but possibly someone with something organic/medical wrong in his brain. And if he did have a seizure his piloting career has ended more definitely than bending the rules ever could. If true, then that puts his actions in a different light. ---
**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:** [April 7, 2011, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-im-having-an-emergency-yeah-thats-the-ticket/577575/7 "2011-04-07T23:48:46Z")
Yes, it does - which is one of the reasons I’ve linked to that article on several boards. If his brain is malfunctioning then an impulsive beach landing where no one was hurt and nothing was broke may have been one of the better possible outcomes. ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-im-having-an-emergency-yeah-thats-the-ticket/577575/8 "2011-04-08T03:39:06Z")
This is true. If that’s what’s going on, I hope for his best recovery. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-im-having-an-emergency-yeah-thats-the-ticket/577575/9 "2011-04-08T04:35:54Z")
Recovery or no, seizures are disqualifying. His flying days are over. ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-im-having-an-emergency-yeah-thats-the-ticket/577575/10 "2011-04-08T20:51:56Z")
Yeah, I had a friend - a former EMT - who used to fly. One day, he was in a vehicular collision and had a head injury. I think he had a seizure or two while at the hospital, but he also had very painful headaches. So, no more flying for him. Sucks, but I totally understand why.