John And Martha King Held At Police Gunpoint (Really)

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - John And Martha King Held At Police Gunpoint (Really)

Posted: 8/30/2010 10:52:12 AM EDT

I studied for my written on their old VHS tapes back in 2000 ...

August 29, 2010

John And Martha King Held At Police Gunpoint (Really)

By Russ Niles, Editor-in-Chief

Aviation's most prominent husband and wife team is calling on government agencies to keep their databases up to date and warning pilots and aircraft owners they could be next to be surrounded by heavily armed police, handcuffed and detained because of a bit of miscommunication. John and Martha King say there's a lesson to be learned after they spent about 30 scary minutes in the custody of Santa Barbara, Calif., police at the Santa Barbara Airport Saturday. Authorities thought their leased Cessna 172 was a Cessna 150 that had been stolen eight years previously in Texas. The 172, which is owned by Cessna Aircraft, was assigned the N-number of the stolen 150 in 2009, years after the FAA had cancelled that registration on the 150. Apparently no one told the El Paso Intelligence Center, an arm of the Drug Enforcement Agency, and other government departments that keeps tabs on, among other things, flights of stolen aircraft. When the Kings filed IFR for their flight from San Diego to meet friends in Santa Barbara, the local police were alerted to intercept the aircraft when it landed. As Martha King told us in the accompanying podcast, what followed was, in her opinion, unnecessarily dangerous and uncomfortable.

King says they were approached by police prepared for the worst, with guns drawn and others taking cover behind the doors of the four police cars that responded. Although anyone who has met the Kings would describe them as anything but threatening in appearance and demeanor, the police took no chances and maintained their aggressive stance through the ordeal. "I would have thought at that point when they got us out it would have ratcheted down quite a bit because I don't think we exactly look like your typical airplane thief," she said. The Kings were not hurt and the airplane was not damaged. The police did not apologize but did justify their actions by saying it was a report that had to be checked out, King said. The Kings said they went public with their experience in hopes that law enforcement agencies will double-check stolen aircraft reports and to warn pilots that there's a chance their N-number could come up under similar circumstances.

Posted: 8/30/2010 11:01:29 AM EDT

[#1]

John and Martha deserve one big ass kissing for this one. Unacceptable.

Posted: 8/30/2010 11:36:22 AM EDT

[#2]

Quoted:
John and Martha deserve one big ass kissing for this one. Unacceptable.

It's a different kind of ramp check I don't recall in their blue-boxed videos.

Posted: 8/30/2010 11:45:52 AM EDT

[#3]

While I'm all for officer safety, there's seems to be a lack of common sense in law enforcement of late.
More and more calls are being treated like a raid on a crack house, regardless of the area or people involved.
It should have only taken a minute or two to ascertain that these folks were not a threat to the officers.
If they were treated roughly after that, there should be repercussions.

Posted: 8/30/2010 11:46:04 AM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:

Quoted:
John and Martha deserve one big ass kissing for this one. Unacceptable.

It's a different kind of ramp check I don't recall in their blue-boxed videos.

Should be in the Take off courses here soon

Posted: 8/30/2010 1:13:03 PM EDT

[#5]

The Police were probably concerned because they couldn't look John in the eye.

ETA: We should all know by now how seriously the police take anything aviation related. Just like the general public, except with guns and aggressiveness that would make a SS panzer commander squirm with discomfort.

Posted: 8/30/2010 1:52:36 PM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:
The Police were probably concerned because they couldn't look John in the eye.

My god friend ,,,,I just blew pepsi out my nose laughing at that !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted: 8/30/2010 2:15:37 PM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:

Quoted:
The Police were probably concerned because they couldn't look John in the eye.

My god friend ,,,,I just blew pepsi out my nose laughing at that !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't know everything there is to know here.

Posted: 8/30/2010 3:56:21 PM EDT

[#8]

Occifer safety like a mother fucker yall!

I met them about 10 years ago. Really nice people.

Posted: 8/30/2010 4:25:22 PM EDT

[#9]

It said "leased" ... but I wonder if they lease it or just rent by the hour ?

Posted: 8/30/2010 4:27:48 PM EDT

[#10]

"EPIC" fail!

Posted: 8/30/2010 4:48:37 PM EDT

[#11]

Good grief.

Posted: 8/30/2010 8:15:27 PM EDT

[#12]

Same kind of story happened to a student and instructor, from my flight school, while on a X/C. Five years prior, one of our aircraft was stolen and hadn't been found. Since our school bought a batch of planes at once, we have a few tail numbers that are very similar. I guess that last two digits on the tail number were flip-flopped....and someone messed it up. As they got in the plane they were surrounded by police, who pulled them out of the plane, cuffed and and held for a few hours while clearing up the mess. Student was good, the instructor ripped some clothing on the way out and got a cut on his face from eating the pavement. Arrogant pricks didn't even offer them an apology when they realized that THEY had f'ed up. I'm all for taking necessary precautions, but at least have the balls to say I f#cked up, man up and apologize.

Posted: 8/30/2010 8:19:42 PM EDT

[#13]

For the love of God...

Posted: 8/30/2010 8:33:00 PM EDT

[#14]

Funny, had they not been 'prominent' people, most of arfcom would shit all over them

Posted: 8/30/2010 8:33:43 PM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
Funny, had they not been 'prominent' people, most of arfcom would shit all over them

In GD maybe.

Posted: 8/30/2010 8:44:07 PM EDT

[#16]

The local story along these lines was a MEI inadvertantly giving ME instruction to a drug runner. Turns out the DEA was on the doper, and the MEI gets a pistol in his ear along with the charming saluation "Freeze, DEA."

Turns out that he was able to convince the DEA he was a mope in the whole enterprise, though the FAA yanked all of his tickets, regardless. Nice folks, the Enforcement Feds.

Posted: 8/30/2010 8:45:41 PM EDT

[#17]

Government agencies not communicating with one another, I'm shocked, shocked I tell you!

Posted: 8/31/2010 5:02:42 AM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
Funny, had they not been 'prominent' people, most of arfcom would shit all over them

Bullsh*t.

ETA - But yet you're here ... on ARFcom ... doing what you act offended by.

Posted: 8/31/2010 5:30:05 AM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:

It said "leased" ... but I wonder if they lease it or just rent by the hour ?

If it flies, floats or fucks, its cheaper to rent.

Posted: 8/31/2010 9:01:41 AM EDT

[#20]

interview with John

Posted: 9/3/2010 7:50:43 AM EDT

[#21]

Perhaps some of the officers had been forced to watch King videos in order to recognize the subjects. That'd be enough to make me want to stick a gun in someone's face.

ka

Posted: 9/4/2010 7:15:54 PM EDT

[#22]

One of my flight instructors told me a story about an incident. I can't find any documentation of it online (I believe it took place near western Michigan). There was supposedly a bank robbery; the suspect, pursued by police, ended up on the airfield. At the same time there was a student and instructor getting ready to take off in a new 172 G1000. When they see the excitement, one of them shut down the airplane. The police assumed that the plane was some sort of getaway vehicle, and shot out the back window. A bullet went through the panel. The instructor and student weren't injured, but I'd say that was a bit excessive.

Posted: 9/5/2010 5:23:49 AM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:
One of my flight instructors told me a story about an incident. I can't find any documentation of it online (I believe it took place near western Michigan). There was supposedly a bank robbery; the suspect, pursued by police, ended up on the airfield. At the same time there was a student and instructor getting ready to take off in a new 172 G1000. When they see the excitement, one of them shut down the airplane. The police assumed that the plane was some sort of getaway vehicle, and shot out the back window. A bullet went through the panel. The instructor and student weren't injured, but I'd say that was a bit excessive.

Oops.

Posted: 9/5/2010 8:38:08 AM EDT

[#24]

Ugh those videos.

Posted: 9/5/2010 10:49:42 AM EDT

[#25]

John & Martha King, along with Patty Wagstaff taught me most of what I know about how to fly a plane

Posted: 9/6/2010 6:31:11 AM EDT

[#26]

All it would have taken is just one of the LEO's involved to spend less than a minute on the internet doing a registration check, and the whole thing could have been avoided in the first place. Not to mention, the pilot's name is listed on the flight plan, so not only could the LEO's have checked out the registration, but have run the pilot as well long before the plane even touched down at KSBA. And seriously, what plane thief is going to file an IFR flight plane... I mean Seriously!

A little bit of common sense and initiative on the part of the LEO's and they wouldn't have come out of this looking like a bunch of morons! Ironic that the Kings have donated their time to training game wardens in Africa how to fly and it is in Santa Barbara, CA that they end up looking down the barrel of multiple guns.

Everyone involved in this incident is lucky that it was the Kings, and not some uptight lawyer who would have had a lawsuit going before the cuffs came off.

Posted: 9/7/2010 11:34:42 AM EDT

[#27]

Quoted:
All it would have taken is just one of the LEO's involved to spend less than a minute on the internet doing a registration check, and the whole thing could have been avoided in the first place. Not to mention, the pilot's name is listed on the flight plan, so not only could the LEO's have checked out the registration, but have run the pilot as well long before the plane even touched down at KSBA. And seriously, what plane thief is going to file an IFR flight plane... I mean Seriously!

I think it's just a facet of the larger problem with LE in America. As they become more militarized, care and attention to detail before jumping at the chance to pull out the guns and raid somebody just keeps getting pushed further and further out the window.

Posted: 9/8/2010 5:56:11 AM EDT

[#28]

Quoted:

Quoted:
All it would have taken is just one of the LEO's involved to spend less than a minute on the internet doing a registration check, and the whole thing could have been avoided in the first place. Not to mention, the pilot's name is listed on the flight plan, so not only could the LEO's have checked out the registration, but have run the pilot as well long before the plane even touched down at KSBA. And seriously, what plane thief is going to file an IFR flight plane... I mean Seriously!

I think it's just a facet of the larger problem with LE in America. As they become more militarized, care and attention to detail before jumping at the chance to pull out the guns and raid somebody just keeps getting pushed further and further out the window.

This is why more intelligence analysis is needed, IMO.

Posted: 9/11/2010 9:21:06 PM EDT

[#29]

In the Edwin Edwards (former govenor of LA) federal raqueteering case the whole ball started to unravel when the authorities at BTR stopped a plane he was flying in with a "friend" that had been reported stolen/used in drug running but in actuality had been confiscated by the DEA and they were loaning it to the "friend" of Edwards to solicit information from him. When the authorities stopped them on the ramp and it was later cleared because the plane now belonged to the government Edwards knew something was up.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - John And Martha King Held At Police Gunpoint (Really)

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