Tue, Feb 01, 2005
Pilot Lands In Big Trouble After Dropping Flour On Friends
An Arizona man with access to an airplane and the ability to fly
it is in a whole lot of trouble this week, after he decided to play
a joke on some friends who were in a paintball gun competition in
the Tonto National Forest, according to authorities. Because of
that prank, the forest was evacuated in the midst of what rangers
thought might have been a chemical or biological attack.
In fact, it was a prank involving several sacks of flour,
according to authorities.
The unidentified pilot flew over the Needle Rock Recreation Area
near the Verdes River, dropping several sacks of flour on his
friends as a joke, according to authorities. But park officials who
saw the drop weren't sure. They thought it might have been some
sort of terror attack. Without knowing more, they evacuated
hundreds of people from the park.
It was three hours later when the paintball warriors, wise to
the prank, explained to rangers what had happened. After the
evacuation, the Maricopa County Sheriff's Department obtained
samples of the flour and had it tested for dangerous
substances.
The tests came up negative.
Trying to put the best face on a heart-wrenching situation,
Sheriff's Deputy Travis Anglin told the East Valley Tribune in
Scottsdale, AZ, "It was kind of a dress rehearsal for terrorist
activities."
The pilot, whose identity has not yet been released, apparently
took off from Deer Valley Airport in northern Phoenix, according to
Anglin. He could end up facing some pretty serious charges,
including flying too low and dropping substances from an
aircraft.
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