FAA revoked pilot’s license for buzzing his own home
While most people are content to view their own home on Google Earth, one airline pilot took his curiosity a little too far, according to newly released Federal Aviation Administration documents.
Pilot Edmund Draper, in control of US Airways flight 4343 decided to take a closer look at his home and purposely lowered the plane in order to fly over his house at an altitude of only 500 feet, FAA documents said.
The report said the plane was operated with "reckless disregard for safety at an excessive speed and dangerously low altitude."
The incident took place in December 2012 en route from Philadelphia to Salisbury-Ocean City: Wicomico Regional Airport with 24 passengers aboard the DHC-8-102 aircraft, operated by Piedmont Airlines, a US Airways subsidiary.
The report was made available in response to a request under the Freedom of Information Act.
Draper’s pilot certificate number was withdrawn in mid-2013 under a FAA emergency order after the agency decided he had violated federal aviation regulations and "endangered the lives of passengers and fellow crewmembers."
"The pilot initially appealed the FAA’s revocation order to the NTSB, but later withdrew the appeal and entered into a settlement agreement with FAA," said a FAA a spokeswoman.
It was apparently not the first time the pilot had buzzed his home while at the controls of an aircraft.
"Everyone knows about the Draper One Arrival," said former colleague First Officer Christopher Quillen when interviewed by investigating FAA officials.
"Ed has a house right off Highway 13 and he likes to fly over his house on the way into Salisbury, he is very knowledgeable about the systems on the airplane and even writes study guides unofficially but his leadership and judgment is not good," Quillen added.
Having served a one-year ban, Draper has reapplied for his airline transport pilot certificate which was awarded in February this year.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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