Sky Kings: Innocent Pilots Face Down Guns, Handcuffs

John King

Friday, November 12, 2021 at 01:06 PM ET

Verified

The ramp of an airport makes for an unlikely traffic stop, and it proves to be pointless. VDB Photos/Shutterstock

Key Takeaways:

The author and Martha were subjected to a "high-risk" police stop at Santa Barbara Airport, complete with drawn guns and handcuffs, due to their aircraft being mistakenly identified as stolen.
The incident stemmed from an outdated government database that incorrectly linked their current aircraft's reassigned registration number to a different plane stolen eight years prior, an error easily verifiable via the FAA website.
The authors criticize the unnecessary and dangerous nature of the "high-risk" stop, arguing that police often lack aviation knowledge to assess risk appropriately and that a calmer approach at the FBO would have been safer.
This systemic database error has led to similar unjustified detentions for other pilots, including with the identical aircraft, highlighting a failure to correct known inaccuracies.

See a mistake? Contact us.

We taxied up in front of the line of four police cars as we were directed by ground control, instead of to the FBO where our friends were waiting. Martha said, “This is going to be interesting.” As we shut down the engine, we heard the bullhorn aimed at us and a voice: “Pilot, very slowly open your door. Pilot, very slowly stick both hands out the door and come out very slowly.”

Martha and I take turns flying and each can fly from either seat. In this case, I was not particularly eager to declare myself as the pilot. Finally, I “agreed” to be the pilot.