Pilot jumps from a PA 46

[malc4d]

Schrenker took off alone Sunday night from Anderson, Indiana, in a Piper PA-46 en route to Destin, Florida.

Over Alabama, he contacted air traffic controllers, saying the windshield had imploded and he was bleeding profusely, authorities said. Police suspect he then put the aircraft on autopilot and parachuted to the ground.

Military aircraft were dispatched to intercept the plane after Schrenker reported the emergency. The pilots saw the plane's door was open and the cockpit was dark, and witnessed the plane's crash, according to the Santa Rosa County, Florida, Sheriff's Office. No blood was found in the downed plane.


U.S. marshals: Pilot could face federal charges - CNN.com (http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/01/14/missing.pilot.found/index.html)

[fleigle]

He landed (by parachute) in Alabama where he got on a motorbike that he had left there.
He was found later with a gashed wrist and elbow (possible suicide attempt?) is now in hospital and facing lots of questions and a not-too-great a future.
The stupidest thing that he seems to have done, among the many, was to leave to plane to its own devices (on autopilot?) so that he could escape, ignoring any poor recipients when it eventually ran out of fuel.
Fortunately it didn't hit any dwellings....moron !
f

[Mike Parsons]

Didn't they trace him due to him using his own Credit Card?

[Piper_Driver]

Looks like they've caught the jerk.
Agent: Pilot mutters "die" as run from law ends - Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090114/ap_on_re_us/plane_crash_mystery)

I think they should throw the book at this guy. Bailing out of a perfectly good plane that will likely fly over or near populated area is like launching an unguided missile. Seems to me that that behavior started a war recently.

[jetopa]

Just how stupid is that? It seems not only that this guy totally misjudged the probable flightpath of his airplane (maybe he even did't give it a thought), he also underestimated the intelligence of everybody else, at this time rushing to his rescue.

He might have been desperate - desperate people sometimes do strange things - but he should stand up and take responsibility for his deeds.

And I do hope that the 'Feds' will revoke his license for good!