FAA: Sen. Inhofe 'nearly killed' airport workers by intentionally landing on closed runway

[Richard D]

Source: Not yet known

Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) prides himself on being stubborn lawmaker, but it turns out that he's also a dangerously stubborn pilot.

Workers at a Cameron Country Airport in Texas were forced to run for their lives late last year when the Republican lawmaker intentionally landed his Cessna on a closed runway.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) documents -- obtained by The Smoking Gun in response to a Freedom of Information Act request -- show that although a large red "X" was painted on the runway, Inhofe "still elected to land."

The FAA provided a recording of airport construction supervisor Sidney Boyd calling to report that Inhofe's plane had "sky hopped" over his men and their vehicles.

Read more: http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/david/faa-sen-inhofe-nearly-killed-airport-workers

[burrowowl]

1. What an IDIOT and a DANGEROUS ONE!

[tularetom]

2. HIs sense of entitlement as a senator is exceeded only by his incompetence as a pilot

[Auntie Bush]

4. Not that's what I call a dangerous man!

Who the hell does he think he is? Was he charged with anything? What was his punishment? Oh I forgot...he's special!

[groundloop]

3. And he still has his license why?

If I'd have pulled that stunt I'd have been summoned to the tower immediately upon landing to offer an explanation, summoned to the nearest FAA office within the week, and would have been immediately stripped of my license pending a hearing.

[Fuddnik]

5. True.

I got called into the tower over a controller fuck up. The supervisor played the tapes, and I never heard that controller in the tower again.

[catgirl]

6. You probably would've been arrested

This idiot better not get away with this. Talk about hating workers!

[ProgressiveProfessor]

16. Hardly

[ProgressiveProfessor]

15. I would expect a less than 1 years suspension for just about anyone who did this

[catgirl]

7. The workers should at least sue his ass

Seeing that the FAA gave him a pass (seven hour training course- ha!), the workers should take it into their own hands. And
to think that he was indignant afterwards! Grrrr....

[Richard D]

8. I don't get that pass

7 hours for deliberately breaking the rules? 7 hours if you make a stupid mistake maybe, but his was not a mistake.

[liam_laddie]

9. Inhofe is just another...

effing ignorant repuke. Petroleum-sucking sociopath IMHO. :puke:

[AndyTiedye]

10. Sen Inhofe Probably Thought They Closed the Runway Just for Him

[slackmaster]

11. I almost cut my hair

It happened just the other day.

Inhofe is only about the same age as my mom, but he's been acting kind of senile.

[Zorra]

12. Probably yelled "Don't you idiots know who I am?!?" at airport workers

after he got out of the plane

[kiranon]

13. Perhaps he thought the red X was to keep dinosaurs away. n/t

[Rex]

14. Rex predicts nothing will come from this and we will just move on.

NOW if that had been a DEM...CNN would still being talking about it and have camera crews on the ground 24/7 to interview the radar array and the runway.

[crazyjoe]

20. We cannot let this stand !! Lets start an internet petition and demand his arrest !!

[spanone]

17. well after all, senators are above the law

or so they think

if any average joe had landed on that runway he would have been jailed and his face plastered all over the media

[hughee99]

18. Unbelievable that a politician can fuck up like this, put people in danger,

and think that they can get away with it. It's high time they start throwing the book at politicians who do this sort of thing... at least until someone talks Patrick Kennedy into running for office again.

[buckrogers1965]

19. A regular citizen would probably be locked up in Guantanamo for doing that.

At the very least they would label you or me a terrorist and ban us from flying ever again.