microlight buzzes statue of liberty
Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 8:12 am
An ultralight aircraft flew within 150 feet of the Statue of Liberty Monday morning prompting a police helicopter to escort the aircraft to the Westchester County Airport.
Police said Barry Maggio, 59 years old, of Hampden, Mass., buzzed the Statue of Liberty in the fixed-wing, two-seat aircraft at 7:10 a.m. After the U.S. Parks Police notified the Federal Aviation Administration, the New York Police Department launched a chopper to intercept the flight.
The police helicopter radioed Mr. Maggio as he neared the George Washington Bridge, police said. It was unclear exactly how much time had elapsed, but police said the call from the FAA was at 7:45 a.m.
Mr. Maggio was questioned at Westchester Airport about the incident and released, police said. A spokesman for the FAA said there would be an investigation, but as of Monday afternoon no charges had been filed or fines levied by the FAA or NYPD.
"I haven't lived here in a while but I guess I didn't realize that security was that tight," Mr. Maggio said in an interview. Security is "obviously different in the city here, in Lower Manhattan, and I didn't take that into account."
Mr. Maggio, who grew up on Staten Island and returned to the East Coast after 14 years in San Diego, said that while he flew low, he followed all regulations and videotaped the three-hour flight starting with his takeoff from Ellington, Conn., at sunrise. Mr. Maggio said that police viewed the video, saw that "they weren't terrorism videos," and released him.
The flight was in an Apollo Aircraft Inc. Monsoon, which has a 100-horsepower engine and is steered by shifting weight, according to Mr. Maggio. Police said that Mr. Maggio and the aircraft are licensed.
"This morning was absolutely gorgeous," Mr. Maggio said. "It was dead calm. The sun was up. It was bright."
Still, he said he didn't take into account heightened security, including that there might be extra concerns due to the Memorial Day weekend.
"They just told me to follow them in," said Mr. Maggio about his radio contact with the police helicopter. "It was a unique morning."
Police said Barry Maggio, 59 years old, of Hampden, Mass., buzzed the Statue of Liberty in the fixed-wing, two-seat aircraft at 7:10 a.m. After the U.S. Parks Police notified the Federal Aviation Administration, the New York Police Department launched a chopper to intercept the flight.
The police helicopter radioed Mr. Maggio as he neared the George Washington Bridge, police said. It was unclear exactly how much time had elapsed, but police said the call from the FAA was at 7:45 a.m.
Mr. Maggio was questioned at Westchester Airport about the incident and released, police said. A spokesman for the FAA said there would be an investigation, but as of Monday afternoon no charges had been filed or fines levied by the FAA or NYPD.
"I haven't lived here in a while but I guess I didn't realize that security was that tight," Mr. Maggio said in an interview. Security is "obviously different in the city here, in Lower Manhattan, and I didn't take that into account."
Mr. Maggio, who grew up on Staten Island and returned to the East Coast after 14 years in San Diego, said that while he flew low, he followed all regulations and videotaped the three-hour flight starting with his takeoff from Ellington, Conn., at sunrise. Mr. Maggio said that police viewed the video, saw that "they weren't terrorism videos," and released him.
The flight was in an Apollo Aircraft Inc. Monsoon, which has a 100-horsepower engine and is steered by shifting weight, according to Mr. Maggio. Police said that Mr. Maggio and the aircraft are licensed.
"This morning was absolutely gorgeous," Mr. Maggio said. "It was dead calm. The sun was up. It was bright."
Still, he said he didn't take into account heightened security, including that there might be extra concerns due to the Memorial Day weekend.
"They just told me to follow them in," said Mr. Maggio about his radio contact with the police helicopter. "It was a unique morning."
