Drunken pilot who buzzed nuke plant gets prison time

[Champ]

Associated Press
Dec. 2, 2004 10:15 AM

NORRISTOWN, Pa. - A drunken pilot who buzzed his single-engine plane near a nuclear power plant and disrupted the flight paths of six airliners was sentenced to six to 23 months in prison.

John V. Salamone had a blood alcohol level of 0.15 percent when he landed after an erratic, four-hour flight on Jan. 15 over the Philadelphia region, authorities said. The legal limit for drivers in Pennsylvania is 0.08 percent.

But Pennsylvania doesn't have laws concerning drunken flying, and drunken driving charges against Salamone were thrown out. Instead, Salamone was convicted of risking a catastrophe and reckless endangerment.

Salamone, 44, of Pottstown, must also serve five years probation and undergo alcohol counseling, a Montgomery County judge ordered Tuesday.

After the case garnered attention, lawmakers tried to rectify the legal loophole by passing a bill - now awaiting the governor's signature - that makes flying drunk over the state a crime.
http://www.azcentral.com/offbeat/articles/1202drunken-flying02-ON.html

[fryguy]

1. its not a crime already?

i thought that most drunk driving laws cover the operation of substantially all, if not all, forms of transporation. i know that the supreme court recently ruled that PA's DUI laws do not apply to someone riding a horse while drunk (honest to god, and I'll find the link soon), but I couldn't imagine that they wouldn't cover aircraft! what the hell are the doing down in PA?

[vpigrad]

2. So nuclear plants are not safe!

And, this proves it. If a tiny single-engine plane can cause so much damage to a nuclear power plant that the pigs freak-out over it, just imagine how much damage a large jet will do! They lied to us and said nuclear power was safe from a direct hit even from a 767, but this proves that isn't true.

> risking a catastrophe

They admit to it, and it's public record!