http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...&sn=018&sc=478

AA Revokes License of D.C. 'Alert' Pilot
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Monday, May 23, 2005

(05-23) 12:15 PDT WASHINGTON (AP) --

The government has revoked the license of the pilot in charge of the small
plane that strayed to within three miles of the White House on May 11,
forcing the panicked evacuation of thousands of people from the executive
mansion, Capitol and Supreme Court.

Though hundreds of people have mistakenly flown into Washington's restricted
airspace, this was believed to be the first such revocation.

The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday that it had issued an
emergency revocation of Hayden L. Sheaffer's pilot's license because he
"constitutes an unacceptable risk to safety in air commerce."

The agency said no action would be taken against Sheaffer's student, who was
also in the plane.

"This action reflects the seriousness in which we view all restricted
airspace violations and, in this case, the level of incursion into
restricted airspace," said FAA spokesman Greg Martin.

The plane entered restricted airspace and then continued flying toward
highly sensitive areas, prompting evacuations of tens of thousands of people
as military aircraft scrambled to intercept it.

The student, 36-year-old Troy Martin, who had logged only 30 hours of flight
time, had control of the small Cessna single engine plane when a U.S.
Customs Service Black Hawk helicopter and a Citation jet intercepted it.

Sheaffer didn't take the most basic steps required of pilots before
operating an aircraft, the FAA said. He failed to check the weather report
before leaving Smoketown, Pa., and he didn't check the FAA's "Notices to
Airmen," which informs pilots of airspace restrictions.

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On the Net:

Federal Aviation Administration:

www.faa.gov
URL:
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©2005 Associated Press