And Exposes Possible Ethics Violation

It started with a mid-air between a twin Cessna and a turkey vulture over Florida's Merritt Island. It ended with allegations that the public officials on board that privately-owned aircraft shouldn't have been there in the first place and may have been committing a violation of state ethics laws.

"We were about to become casualties. It was unbelievable," Brevard County, FL, Commissioner Jackie Colon told Florida Today. "It didn't look good. We were nowhere near the airport. When we heard the impact, saw the bird, the fuel coming out -- I was saying, this can't be happening."

The impact with the bird ripped a hole in the plane's left wing. FUel started spewing out of the puncture as pilot Robert Ottman made an emergency landing at Merritt Island.

Also aboard the twin Cessna (type unknown) were State Rep. Ralph Poppell (R-Vero Beach), Commission Chairman Ron Pritchard, Brevard County Sheriff Jack Parker and Sheriff's Major Joe Ambrose.

"My major concern was, other than the (plane's) stability, was the fuel catching on fire," Parker told Florida Today.

The collision also damaged the gear-down indicator. "We had to take a chance the landing gear was down. Had the plane made a belly landing, it would have sparked," Parker said.

The aircraft belonged to Merritt Island developer Duane Watson, a longtime friend and contributor to Pritchard's 2002 re-election campaign. Even though Pritchard said he arranged for the county to be billed for the flight.

That may be the way out of a possible ethics violation, experts said. Florida lawmakers aren't allowed to accept gifts worth more than $100. The flight costed out to approximately $130 for each of the passengers on board.

"This doesn't fall into the more egregious kind of gifts," State Ethics Commission Chairwoman Bonnie Williams said. "They could have structured it better."

The FAA says there've been approximately 2,000 bird strikes nationwide so far this year (file photo of strike damage, above).

FMI: www.countygovt.brevard.fl.us