A Pilot Ran Out of Fuel and Landed on the Interstate . . . While Drunk
A 35-year-old student pilot ran out of fuel on Friday while flying without an instructor, and had to land a single-engine plane on the interstate near Kansas City, Missouri. And it turned out he was DRUNK when it happened.
Some student pilots can fly by themselves as long as their instructor okays it. But it's not clear if he did that. And obviously flying while intoxicated isn't okay.
It was around 2:30 in the morning, and the highway was empty. So he managed to land the plane without hitting any cars.
He crashed into a guardrail but only suffered minor injuries. Then a truck driver used her rig to block the road so no one would crash into him.
She says that when he got out of the plane, he smelled like alcohol and was slurring his words. He hugged her and said he was glad he didn't hurt anyone.
It turned out he'd flown from Kansas City to Florida the day before, and was on his way back when he ran out of gas about 25 miles from the airport.
Cops found a small amount of pot, so he might have been drunk AND high. And they also found a gun.
He's facing a bunch of felony charges, including possession of a controlled substance . . . felony possession of a firearm . . . and operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
(The Daily Beast / KSHB)
(Here's a photo of the plane in the middle of the interstate.)