The 24-year-old pilot who made an emergency landing at Rockaway Beach—in spite of not getting permission for the landing—and explained that he did so because it "happens in Alaska all the time"—is not City Councilman Peter Vallone's favorite person. The Queens lawmaker wrote to the FAA, "Mr. Maloney must face the strictest punishment. A pilot who abuses the privilege of flying, at a minimum, should have his licenses revoked." The Queens DA's office is also launching a criminal probe into Maloney's antics.
Maloney, along with two passengers, had taken off from an airport in Farmingdale, Long Island, but soon contacted air traffic control to find out where he could land. Air traffic control said that he could only make a landing on a beach if it was an emergency, and he claimed he had a sick passenger but he didn't want to declare an emergency. He also said the engine seemed a "teensy, teensy bit rough." Upon landing, his female passenger did throw up. Maloney wasn't arrested by police, but his license could be yanked and he may face a fine.
According to the Post, "Maloney rented his wings from East Coast Aero Club, a company based in Bedford, Mass. It's unclear whether the plane will fly again, said Mark Holzwarth, East Coast Aero's owner. Holzwarth said he'd left the plane at Stewart Airport in Newburgh for charity work. It was there 'so we could teach some New York City kids how to fly. And this is what I get,' he lamented."
The medical school student has been staying at his home in Cornwall, NY and was hospitalized on Wednesday.
