California pilot arrested for flying under the influence

April 5, 2017

After the left wing of a plane he was flying clipped a stop sign Monday evening, deputies arrested a pilot for flying under the influence. The pilot failed a sobriety test after he landed his plane in a fashion designer’s parking lot in Southern California.  [LA Times]

Darrell Roberts, 58, of Winchester, landed his single-engine Piper at the Michael Kors distribution center in Whittier at about 10:15 p.m.

No passengers were aboard Roberts’ aircraft. Investigators are trying to determine whether engine failure or the plane running out of gas forced the landing.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Lt. Alex Villanueva said Roberts failed a sobriety test but was lucky to have landed where he did.

“Driving under the influence is dangerous enough; on an aircraft multiply that by a factor of 10 what could go wrong,” Villanueva said. “It’s just very lucky that he landed in a parking lot that is a little over 2,000 feet long.”

Roberts did not suffer injuries but was taken to a hospital after complaining of abdominal pain.


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He didn’t have Chewbacca navigating. Big difference. it looks easy in the movies but try going from a Millennial Falcon to a carbon fuel plane and see how YOU would land.


Alcohol can impair your judgment and inhibitions in a number of ways. After drinking, it is common to have miscalculated judgment and drive, swim, fly, engage in sex, attempt dare-devil stunts, and drink more while pregnant. Many times with really devastating results. This is the shittiest excuse for a social lubricant EVER.


And: A recent study the SLO County Health Agency publicized found more local women drink while pregnant than pregnant women elsewhere. Agency officials say the county is “one of the top problem areas in the nation for alcohol consumption during pregnancy.” Let’s not forget alcohol is a teratogen and is on the same level as thalidomide for destoying a developing fetus.


http://www.newtimesslo.com/news/2945/is-drinking-while-pregnant-a-special-problem-here/


And yet Harrison Ford lands his plane on a busy taxiway and has no consequences, no special treatment there, yeah right. Some people just shouldn’t be pilots.