Emergency Landing In August Saves Lives But Proves Costly

Pilot Brian Nicholson was flying along minding his own business one day last August when his airplane's engine "clunked and started vibrating very badly," according to the pilot. The plane lost power and Nicholson declared an emergency. He reportedly dodged overpasses and signs on the Pennsylvania Turnpike (Route 43) and made as close to a perfect emergency landing as he could. Both he and the co-pilot on board the airplane walked away uninjured. It was determined that a portion of the propeller separated from the airplane.

That was in August. In November, Nicholson got a bill from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for nearly $3,000. He was charged for overtime costs for the highway workers who were on the scene while they waited for the plane to be towed away.

And that's after he paid over $1,000 to have the plane disassembled and put on a truck for transport because they would not allow him to fly off the Turnpike. He said he had a propeller and a mechanic brought to the scene and "I could have been out of that area in 15 minutes," according to television station WPIX.

In a statement, the state said that “The commission has a duty to provide a safe roadway for customers and emergency responders, and we certainly have a right, if not an obligation, to recover our costs in doing so. A number of turnpike maintenance-department employees had to be mobilized to protect the safety of the pilot and the traveling public — our customers. To make sure nobody would be injured and to keep traffic moving, Turnpike employees helped to close parts of the highway while abiding federal guidelines on the personnel and equipment needed for such closures. They assisted in safely getting the plane to a location where it could be disassembled and transported off turnpike property.

"It is standard practice for the turnpike to seek reparations after an incident that necessitates involvement of our personnel.  How we’re handling this is no different than how we handle similar accidents involving a car or truck, and it’s comparable to processes used by other highway operators.

"The decision to prohibit the pilot from taking off on the turnpike was made in the interest of customer safety and also because of the additional costs we would have incurred to shut down the road in both directions during takeoff.”

Nicholson said he is concerned that the bill from the turnpike may have a chilling effect on pilots who might attempt a riskier landing than taking a nice, smooth, paved highway in an emergency.

FMI: www.paturnpike.com