On Jul 9, 8:51 am, Larry Dighera wrote:
While I have little sympathy for the alleged reckless and dangerous
aircraft operation by the pilot in this case, I do wonder just how
safe it is for a the sheriff to force a landing on a sand bar in the
Sacramento River?

I used to fly out of a small grass field near there. Most of the
pilots there landed on the sand bars as normal course. Of course many
of them also found it fun to fly below the level of the levy and play
chicken with the cargo ships coming up the channel. Those guys pretty
much disowned me when I got my instrument rating (real airplanes don't
have instruments). In the end, the legality relates to who owns that
land (I believe its the county).

-Robert, CFII