Pilot steals 172 and heads to Cuba (on first solo)!
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Pilot steals 172 and heads to Cuba (on first solo)!
New Pilot Steals Plane in Florida, Flies to Cuba
MIAMI (Reuters) - A small plane flown by a novice pilot was stolen from a flight school in the Florida Keys on Tuesday and has landed in Cuba, authorities said.
The manager of Paradise Aviation in Marathon said the pilot, a man in his early 30s, was on his first solo flight, Fox affiliate WSVN Channel 7 reported.
The manager, Brian Hanson, said the pilot was taking instruction from the company. He was supposed to go once around the perimeter of Marathon airport then bring the Cessna 172 into land.
"He came round and got within a hundred yards then powered up,'' Hanson said. "He headed south...we thought he was just panicking.
Aviation officials later told him the plane had landed in Cuba, about 100 miles south of Marathon across the Florida Straits, he said.
"It looks like the aircraft was stolen from Paradise,' he joked.
The pilot was the only person on board.
The State Department confirmed the incident. A spokeswoman said the State Department was aware that an American citizen had taken off from Marathon and that a Navy plane unsuccessfully tried to make verbal contact with pilot.
The spokeswoman said the Navy plane tracked the civilian aircraft to Havana, adding that the U.S. Interest Section in Cuba has been asked to follow up with authorities there.
In Havana, there was official silence, with airport, Civil Aviation Institute officials, and Foreign Ministry sources all telling Reuters they had no information.
Reuters reporters were not immediately able to sight the plane at airport facilities in Havana.
Although several planes have been hijacked to Cuba since the 1959 revolution, in recent years the traffic has been the other way by Cubans wanting to escape Communist rule.
In the last incident in September 2000, a group of 10 Cubans stole a crop-duster which crashed into the Gulf of Mexico. They were picked up by a freighter and the nine survivors were brought to the United States.
MIAMI (Reuters) - A small plane flown by a novice pilot was stolen from a flight school in the Florida Keys on Tuesday and has landed in Cuba, authorities said.
The manager of Paradise Aviation in Marathon said the pilot, a man in his early 30s, was on his first solo flight, Fox affiliate WSVN Channel 7 reported.
The manager, Brian Hanson, said the pilot was taking instruction from the company. He was supposed to go once around the perimeter of Marathon airport then bring the Cessna 172 into land.
"He came round and got within a hundred yards then powered up,'' Hanson said. "He headed south...we thought he was just panicking.
Aviation officials later told him the plane had landed in Cuba, about 100 miles south of Marathon across the Florida Straits, he said.
"It looks like the aircraft was stolen from Paradise,' he joked.
The pilot was the only person on board.
The State Department confirmed the incident. A spokeswoman said the State Department was aware that an American citizen had taken off from Marathon and that a Navy plane unsuccessfully tried to make verbal contact with pilot.
The spokeswoman said the Navy plane tracked the civilian aircraft to Havana, adding that the U.S. Interest Section in Cuba has been asked to follow up with authorities there.
In Havana, there was official silence, with airport, Civil Aviation Institute officials, and Foreign Ministry sources all telling Reuters they had no information.
Reuters reporters were not immediately able to sight the plane at airport facilities in Havana.
Although several planes have been hijacked to Cuba since the 1959 revolution, in recent years the traffic has been the other way by Cubans wanting to escape Communist rule.
In the last incident in September 2000, a group of 10 Cubans stole a crop-duster which crashed into the Gulf of Mexico. They were picked up by a freighter and the nine survivors were brought to the United States.
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After delivering pizzas in South Florida I wouldn't think there is much that could make you nervous...
_______________________________
Wednesday, 1 August, 2001, 03:23 GMT 04:23 UK
Novice pilot reaches Cuba by mistake
The plane just made it to the Cuban coast
A novice American pilot on a training flight in Florida has flown all the way to Cuba, apparently because he was too nervous to land.
He said he couldn't land, he was afraid
Ute Steigerwald, Paradise Aviation
John Reese, 50, was meant to circle Marathon airport in the Florida Keys once, and then come in to land in his Cessna 172.
Instead, he flew south for 230km (140 miles) and, after almost skimming the sea, crash-landed on rocky ground at Cojimar, east of Havana.
The pilot was shaken, but unhurt, and was able to walk away from the plane.
"He was really lucky because he was going really close to the sea before he reached the ground, " said one eyewitness.
No radio contact
Mr Reese, a driver for Pizza Hut in Marathon, and had been taking flying lessons for two weeks with a company called Paradise Aviation.
Paradise's Vice-President Ute Steigerwald said that Mr Resse had lost his nerve when he came into land.
"He said he couldn't land, he was afraid," she said.
Instead he continued flying south and did not return radio calls from Marathon airport.
"He looked like he knew what he was doing," said Ms Steigerwald.
A US Navy plane tracked the Cessna, and tried to make contact with Mr Reese, but without success.
The Navy plane turned back when Mr Reese entered Cuban airspace.
It is not clear whether the Cessna, worth about $60,000, can be salvaged.
"We are not exactly ecstatic about it," said Ms Steigerwald.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/wor...00/1467815.stm
_______________________________
Wednesday, 1 August, 2001, 03:23 GMT 04:23 UK
Novice pilot reaches Cuba by mistake
The plane just made it to the Cuban coast
A novice American pilot on a training flight in Florida has flown all the way to Cuba, apparently because he was too nervous to land.
He said he couldn't land, he was afraid
Ute Steigerwald, Paradise Aviation
John Reese, 50, was meant to circle Marathon airport in the Florida Keys once, and then come in to land in his Cessna 172.
Instead, he flew south for 230km (140 miles) and, after almost skimming the sea, crash-landed on rocky ground at Cojimar, east of Havana.
The pilot was shaken, but unhurt, and was able to walk away from the plane.
"He was really lucky because he was going really close to the sea before he reached the ground, " said one eyewitness.
No radio contact
Mr Reese, a driver for Pizza Hut in Marathon, and had been taking flying lessons for two weeks with a company called Paradise Aviation.
Paradise's Vice-President Ute Steigerwald said that Mr Resse had lost his nerve when he came into land.
"He said he couldn't land, he was afraid," she said.
Instead he continued flying south and did not return radio calls from Marathon airport.
"He looked like he knew what he was doing," said Ms Steigerwald.
A US Navy plane tracked the Cessna, and tried to make contact with Mr Reese, but without success.
The Navy plane turned back when Mr Reese entered Cuban airspace.
It is not clear whether the Cessna, worth about $60,000, can be salvaged.
"We are not exactly ecstatic about it," said Ms Steigerwald.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/wor...00/1467815.stm
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Here is the local TV station, reporting on it, there's even a video of the aircraft shown upsidedown on the beach plus full details.
http://www.wsvn.com/
Whats new...!!
Welcome to Miami
[ 01 August 2001: Message edited by: F900B ]
http://www.wsvn.com/
Whats new...!!
Welcome to Miami
[ 01 August 2001: Message edited by: F900B ]
Safety First!
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Pilot got scared so flew 100 nm to Cuba? Did he take the go-around procedure of clearing the active runway centreline a bit too far? Geez, hope none of my students ever freak and try to reach a Pacific Island.
$60,000 is expensive for a pizza, hope Castro and his pals were able to reheat it (perhaps the school has also noticed their microwave has gone missing).
Kermie
[ 01 August 2001: Message edited by: Kermit 180 ]
$60,000 is expensive for a pizza, hope Castro and his pals were able to reheat it (perhaps the school has also noticed their microwave has gone missing).
Kermie
[ 01 August 2001: Message edited by: Kermit 180 ]
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I bet the Cubans are, at present, painstakingly sifting through the wreckage attempting to glean the latest in technological advancements from this ‘state of the art’ machine ..... 
