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Pilot of a small aircraft sel is stopped while taxiing to parking by the sheriff for suspected drug tfcing.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 273269 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199406 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : lna |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 450 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 5 flight time total : 1500 flight time type : 150 |
| ASRS Report | 273269 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | instruction : instructor |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Instrument recurrency check with cfii. Departed ktmb (tamiami) at XX32 local. Filed IFR to klna (palm beach county airpark). Requested VOR runway 15 approach en route. Vectored for approach. Cleared for approach. Canceled IFR 3.0 DME from map. Flew MDA to map. Then climbed runway heading for circle to land. Completed pattern with all required calls (crosswind, downwind, base, final) on CTAF. Instructor shut off strobes and landing light on approach because alternator switched off line and battery was draining. Unnecessary electrics shut down. On short final, landing light turned on. Taxied to well lighted ramp at XX30. Saw blue flashing lights at 10 O'clock coming toward us. Taxied with caution. Police car stopped within 15 ft of taxiway. Shined spotlight in our eyes. Officer jumped out and aimed revolver at us. Said we didn't stop when we saw lights. Accused us of drug tfcing, while at gun point stated that we tried to sneak in to airport at night undetected. We explained instrument mission and confirmed flight plan with approach control. Held us for 90 mins and called 10 more police cars plus helicopter and dogs. Police need to be instructed about airport operations. Vehicle nearly rammed us. Officer nearly shot us because we flew over low (420 ft MDA) and without lights (no strobes or landing light). Navigation lights and red rotating beacon were on at the time. He was unaware of standard aircraft lighting requirements.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT OF A SMA SEL IS STOPPED WHILE TAXIING TO PARKING BY THE SHERIFF FOR SUSPECTED DRUG TFCING.
Narrative: INST RECURRENCY CHK WITH CFII. DEPARTED KTMB (TAMIAMI) AT XX32 LCL. FILED IFR TO KLNA (PALM BEACH COUNTY AIRPARK). REQUESTED VOR RWY 15 APCH ENRTE. VECTORED FOR APCH. CLRED FOR APCH. CANCELED IFR 3.0 DME FROM MAP. FLEW MDA TO MAP. THEN CLBED RWY HDG FOR CIRCLE TO LAND. COMPLETED PATTERN WITH ALL REQUIRED CALLS (XWIND, DOWNWIND, BASE, FINAL) ON CTAF. INSTRUCTOR SHUT OFF STROBES AND LNDG LIGHT ON APCH BECAUSE ALTERNATOR SWITCHED OFF LINE AND BATTERY WAS DRAINING. UNNECESSARY ELECTRICS SHUT DOWN. ON SHORT FINAL, LNDG LIGHT TURNED ON. TAXIED TO WELL LIGHTED RAMP AT XX30. SAW BLUE FLASHING LIGHTS AT 10 O'CLOCK COMING TOWARD US. TAXIED WITH CAUTION. POLICE CAR STOPPED WITHIN 15 FT OF TXWY. SHINED SPOTLIGHT IN OUR EYES. OFFICER JUMPED OUT AND AIMED REVOLVER AT US. SAID WE DIDN'T STOP WHEN WE SAW LIGHTS. ACCUSED US OF DRUG TFCING, WHILE AT GUN POINT STATED THAT WE TRIED TO SNEAK IN TO ARPT AT NIGHT UNDETECTED. WE EXPLAINED INST MISSION AND CONFIRMED FLT PLAN WITH APCH CTL. HELD US FOR 90 MINS AND CALLED 10 MORE POLICE CARS PLUS HELI AND DOGS. POLICE NEED TO BE INSTRUCTED ABOUT ARPT OPS. VEHICLE NEARLY RAMMED US. OFFICER NEARLY SHOT US BECAUSE WE FLEW OVER LOW (420 FT MDA) AND WITHOUT LIGHTS (NO STROBES OR LNDG LIGHT). NAV LIGHTS AND RED ROTATING BEACON WERE ON AT THE TIME. HE WAS UNAWARE OF STANDARD ACFT LIGHTING REQUIREMENTS.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.