Left Tire Marks On The Monolith Formerly Called 'Ayers Rock'

The pilot of a Piper Saratoga was arrested on the tarmac at the Alice Springs airport in Australia after he allegedly performed a touch-and-go on top of Uluru, the monolith near the center of Australia formerly known as Ayers Rock.

The 27-year-old pilot's airplane was seized by the Northern Territory Police for investigation, according to the Betoota Advocate. He was granted bail by the Magistrates Court in Alice Springs, and was waiting for his lawyers to arrive. Among the charges are operating an airplane while intoxicated, endangering the safety of an aircraft, and criminal damage of a sacred site.

The pilot has not been named, but is said to be from Yaraka, in central western Queensland. Authorities are trying to determine what motivated him to land his plane on the monolith. He has so far been silent on the matter, according to the paper.

Authorities estimate the cost of cleaning the tire marks off the rock formation to be in the millions of dollars. The pilot is scheduled to appear in court later this month.

(Piper Saratoga pictured in file photo)

FMI: www.parksaustralia.gov.au/uluru