Jerk Pilot Who Landed a Plane on a New York Beach Had a Seizure Today

By Joe Coscarelli Wed., Apr. 6 2011 at 5:33 PM

Sick Maloney (Harbus for NYDN)

Jason Maloney, the 24-year-old private plane pilot who landed on Rockaway Beach after lying to air traffic controllers on Monday, was rushed to the hospital on Wednesday after experiencing seizures, according to an emergency worker and the New York Daily News. We laughed at Maloney earlier for all of the ridiculous lies and nonsense he uttered while trying to land at the beach -- "Whoaaaa, what if I want to hide from you?" he asked the controller, for instance -- but after about 36 hours holed up at his home in Cornwall, NY, he came out (without shoes) on a gurney and straight into an ambulance.

Apart from his medical issues, Maloney is facing an investigation after his dramatic landing, probably because he couldn't stick to a story.

At one point he said he was dropping off a pastor at JFK airport for a "medical mission" (obviously not true) but he also blamed an ill passenger and a bad engine. That latter is being checked out by the Federal Aviation Administration, who have disassembled the plane, which will now be investigated by a mechanic. If the engine was not in fact "a little teensy bit rough," like Maloney said, he could lose his license and be fined.

Perhaps his illness today is stress-related, with that verdict looming, but even if it's not, Maloney's second day of drama is helping him move toward a full 15 minutes of fame.

[jcoscarelli@villagevoice.com / @joecoscarelli]

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Nobody

As a pilot myself, I generally point out that FAA regulations don't prohibit landing airplanes off airports, whether on a beach, farm field, whatever. I have made many [legal] off airport landings, and not in Alaska, either. Local laws may prohibit it, though; it could even be trespassing, and there is a catchall FAA regulation prohibiting "careless or reckless operation".

In this case, though, it certainly sounds like the pilot acted like an idiot.

ImATC

This guy just didn't start being a jerk, this beach landing stunt is the culmination of this young mans flying career. His flippant radio style is well developed and full of clues to his character. This aircraft is a rental based out of a small field in MA which is a towered field. The company that rents this aircraft charges over $100/hr to rent this plane. The aircraft was several days gone from its home field and reported to have departed out of Republic airport. I believe that Mr Maloney has finally demonstrated to all that he has more money than brains and that his parents are bank-rolling his arrogance. I also feel that if one would look deeper into this man's past that this wouldn't be his first run in with the FAA. Usually people like Mr Maloney have problems following instructions and have a trail of violations leading up to a major event. I am thankful that he caused only minor injuries and glad that he wont be flying out of my airport anymore, and where his absence from the traffic pattern will greatly improve safety. He frequently made himself a difficult pilot for the controllers to deal with by deliberately mis-interpreting instructions and/or delaying actions to turn or extent flying maneuvers in the flying pattern. This in turn would cause other aircraft in the traffic pattern to have to re-spaced or re sequenced. I can only imaging the extra effort and stress that this young man caused the controllers and student pilots who had to operate around him. So mien Schadenfreude, "See YA"!!!!!!

Pilot

Aviation fatal accident files/stories abound with self-righteous, moronic, idiot, prick "pilots" like this punk. Thankfully they are in an extreme minority in as far as the pilot world goes. Thankfully as well, this will not end up in one of those accident files this time. The Feds should throw the book at this want a be "aviator." Now with his "so called" seizure today he can kiss his medical certf. good by for a very long time as well. Put that in your "Grill" Jason and smoke it. Stay out of aviation kid, your unprofessional, reckless kind is not welcome or wanted here at anytime. Grow up as well!

Angry

This guy does a great dis-service to general aviation...

calm

@angry: Does it not occur to you, in your rush to misspelled, anonymous Internet condemnation, that if the pilot has a recent seizure disorder, it might have impaired his judgment when he was flying?

Kenny

If that was the case his medical would have been voided and prevented him flying, so in other words he was in violation of FAA regulations for either flying with a known illness or forgetting to take precautionary medications, and a medical that was no longer valid. I fly with glasses on, kinda like me taking off without my glasses. There is no defending this guy what so ever!! Anyone that does is a moron, so yah, you get what im saying right?

calm

@kenny: And how exactly did you establish that his seizure disorder was previously known? You're just making things up that you have no actual information about, in order to make defamatory comments about someone who may or may not have been at fault.

What's so terrible about waiting for actual facts before you publicly condemn someone?