Pilot banned for year after flying dangerously close to home
A pilot was banned from flying for a year after it emerged that he had flown dangerously low over his own house.
Pilot Edmund Draper flew just 500 feet above his property when he was at the controls of US Airways flight 4343 from Philadelphia to Salisbury-Ocean City.
The DHC-8-102 aircraft was carrying 24 passengers and was operated by Piedmont Airlines, a US Airways subsidiary.
The report from the US Federal Aviation Authority 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 but the report was only made available this week 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Draper’s pilot certificate number was withdrawn in mid 2013 under a FAA emergency order after the agency decided he had violated federal aviation regulations and ‘endangered the lives of passengers and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 crew members’.
"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 flown close to 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.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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