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Video of what appears to show a photographer's close call with a stunt airplane is raising safety questions.
The YouTube video shows a stunt airplane owned by Lancaster, Texas-based Viper Airshows nearly slamming into a person with a camera on the runway of the Lancaster Regional Airport south of Dallas. A person on an all-terrain vehicle can be seen riding around in the background.
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"This was a structured shoot, and some people don't understand that," said the pilot, Jason Newberg.
He said the incident was not an accident.
"All of the people at the practice were briefed and were part of the crew," Newberg said.
Lancaster City Manager Opal Mauldin-Robertson said the pilot has an aerobatic waiver with the Federal Aviation Administration that allows him to perform practice routines for his stunt shows at the airport, provided he does so during the day in good weather, stays within specifically outlined boundaries and follows other safety measures.
"As long as he's in compliance with what's required of him in the FAA waiver, he doesn't need to come in and say, 'I'm going to do a practice run,'" she said Tuesday after viewing the video.
Mauldin-Robertson said she confirmed Tuesday that the pilot's special waiver was still valid and was on file at the airport.
But the FAA said the document shows a November 2012 expiration date on the front.
"Even with a waiver, there a requirement that people on the ground not be endangered," FAA spokesman Lynn Lunsford told NBC 5 by email.
Aviation safety expert Denny Kelly told NBC 5 after watching the video that it was not OK to fly so close to someone on a runway.
"There would be no time that would be the proper thing to do," he said.
The Lancaster city manager said the city had been in contact with the FAA and is awaiting its investigation.
Mark Divita, the airport manager, said told NBC 5 on Tuesday that Newberg had told him that he posted the video on the Internet to drum up attention and promote his upcoming stunt shows.
It was not immediately clear who posted the video, which does not appear on Viper Airshows' YouTube channel.
NBC 5's Ben Russell and Ken Kalthoff contributed to this report.
Leave a Comment:
What part of stunt plane isn't being understood here?
Seems the document had expired.
Maybe if someone actually comprehended the article, they'd realize that even 'stunt' planes have restrictions to ensure the safety of others. So much so that a special waiver must be obtained to bypass those restrictions. And apparently, according to FAA statement in the article, that waiver had expired. What would a state police officer do to you if he found you driving with an expired license?
And before someone screams about "restrictions on 'stunt' planes..." name one industry in America that has had restrictions placed on them from their inception (other than the Nuclear industry) without someone in that industry having screwed up in some big way. You can't.
Hi, I'm from the FAA and I am here to help you.
Anyone who is a pilot will get that.
Texas. 'nuff said.
This is the media making a Mountain out of a mole hill!!! I could hear the photographer laughing!!!
So maybe we should stop ALL stunts even in movies as they MIGHT be dangerous.
Everything is BIG in Texas...including the idiots!
Yes, we live in the freest country on Earth, as long as you paid for all the proper permits, and insurance, and medical/safety personnel, and whatever else the government requires. If Hollywood wanted to do this they could...you just need to put up the money. These guys are getting in trouble because they didn't put up all the money. Yes sir....freest country on Earth.
DUPLICATE STORY... story seeded days ago.. this is DUPLICATE STORY!! marked as such.. shame on NBV for stealing this story.. anyways...
with zoom lenses you can't tell how FAR AWAY the plane was.. looks to be beyond danger zones..
watch a auto race and see how close the track cameras appear until you see their positioning from the blimp camera (similar comment to original story )
Aha. Awesome!
mike277
Total control Safer then driving on the Interstate and way safer then driving on a 2 lane road with snow on it.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
Some people actually believed this was real?
Come on, really?
A guy on an ATV, on a runway, being conveniently filmed from behind by a guy with a camera who is laughing and "screaming" as a biplane comes within feet of "hitting" them.
If you didn't know you were getting pranked I have some great oceanfront property in North Dakota you can have cheap.
The gullibility of our nation is becoming intolerable.
Stunt planes are registered, duhhh. professionals do dangerous stunts for movies all the time. these people are over reacting. many a stunt person has been injured or killed making movies, and lets not forget how many have died at air shows.
Are there still Wing Walkers out there. Just curious.
JimSpence
it was real. not that hard to do if you are good.
At least the stunt had a gay, happy ending.
This is not a story!!!! This type of "Stunt" as the media and uneducated public has labeled it is no differant then the "Ribbon Cuts" that are performed week in and week out by the Sean Tucker's, Rob Hollands and Patty Wagstaff's at airshows across the country every year. They are always well thought out and rehearsed with the energy path away from the spectators or is in this case the 2 willing participants. And to those that claim to be pilots in here, if your not an airshow pilot/performer you should know better then to critic this as you know not what your talking about.
"Structured shoot".....Right....Someone wanting 15 min. of fame and willing to die trying for it....
Their profession, their lives, their choice. No member of the uninformed unwashed public was put at risk. Nosy Parker officious busybodies should butt out.
And, I suppose their families should come clean up the mess they make when they are splattered all over the runway rather than EMS, fire crews, etc.
how boring would movies be without stunts?
Better not head to Hollywood..... they perform stunts everyday out there.
The expiration date issue may be the legal bit that is their undoing, but for all practictical purposes a rather lame attempt to punish the team. How close to the cameraman did the plane come? Can you tell what the zoom lens setting was at from the video? You...do...understand the way cameras and telephoto and zoom lens can compress the visual distance, right?
What "death defying act" doesn't look dangerous? And are you really sure you want to beat the drum to stop all the "extreme" sports because "they look scary?
As a pilot, I'm bothered more by how close the left wingtip came to contacting the ground, but if these adults want to go out and do these things, as far as I'm concerned they can have at it.
im with you too.was a stunt pilot near temple maybe 20yrs ago now,just watching him put the plane thru paces i asked my boss if that pilot was a veteran,he laughed said wwii fighter jock,nuff said.i think most shows i seen locally,safety was always priority 1.damm good pilots too.
Buffaloe51 As a guy that would have had to go and pick up the pieces, I cannot believe these "and I'll be very polite here because it's public" People?. Like you say after looking at the vid frame by frame, I'd say he misssed that runway with that left wing tip by what 5 inch's at most? And It looks to be, maybe 5 to 10 feet and the guy with the camara would have been cut in two. Not to mention that plane after hitting the camara person probably would have crashed causing me and my Brother Fire Fighters to go and pick up what was left of those "people?" Safe? Heck NO. He endangered himself the people on the ground in the vid and if anything had happened? the people responding to save them. That was just plain wrong and wreckless.
us texans is crazy!!!!
Give me a break, this is not even news worthy.
Welcome to America, where everyone feels the need to tell everyone else what they can and can't do.
Cool!
Slow news day or good press,
I'll bet this was G.W.'s fault !!!
WWI Film?
I think it's a little ridiculous the stupid risks people will take with their lives and the lives of others. Where is the common sense that would decide a remote camera would be a safer option? Does anyone think "what if?"
It's not your life, so don't worry about it. Worrying too much about a multitude of "what ifs" makes for a very boring and pointless life.
Maybe you're right Rex-1306908, perhaps it will be your life they'll decide to risk.
Without your permission of course.
Once again the know nothing about aviation media presents a non story. They still believe a "stall" is something the engine does.
At that speed and lack of altitude, that really was close. But the viewer doesn't even know if it was a person riding an ATV, or camera mounted on one and left to idle along.
Stunt or not, the planes wing almost clipped the ground.
But it didn't! Get it What do you want? An investigation,a trial and then a lawsuit ? Banning airplanes?You should be banned until your brain stem grows far enough to connect to your brain.
media poking their nose in where it's not revelant.
that said the media is very much needed to sticking their noses into things like government malfeasance.
people need to stay out of other peoples lives
That appears to be a hand held camera. I would be more concerned about whoever was shooting this video. - RC
(They really need to structure these shoots much better, especially if they intend to go viral on the Internet. If that wingtip had clipped the ground, it would have pulled the nose to the left, and that plane would have cartwheeled right into the person shooting the video. In any case, it behooves them to have their paperwork in order.) - RC
So?
Ban planes and pilots
I am sure those people didn't feel safe
That freaking pilot probably drank a soda bigger than 16oz
Reminds me of the 1920s Barnstormers and old clips of stunt planes when wing walkers, hanging from planes, and jumping from cars to plane was considered normal for stunt planes.
You can see some really cool and crazy pictures of 1920s Barnstormers here:
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2kOOxB/green-buzz.net/entertainment/the-death-defying-aerial-stunts-of-1920s-barnstormers/
One of the most irrelevant and stupidest stories I've seen on MSNBS in a long time - and that's saying a lot!
You do realize that it isn't MSNBC anymore don't you? This site is now NBCnews. This happened way back in July.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48180815/ns/business-us_business/t/msnbccom-becomes-nbcnewscom/#.UQL5HvISEz4
Wing tip was much closer to the ground than the idiot who should never have been on the runway. Guess it should have been a Nerf airplane so no one could get hurt.
We have become a country of whiners and litigants,only wanting to complain and sue someone for the slightest discernable indiscretion.At least the officials in Texas have sense enough to dismiss this as nothing and to leave it to the parties involved to sort out.There must be some national organization against "flying a plane to low to the ground!"Probably an environmental group, worrying about the health of runway crickets.
This was all done in studio by graphic artists.Fooled you,didn't it!No plane,no runway,no stunt!
I've got winter ants to worry about! Got to go and get out my DDT and kill dem ants!Happy trails!