Irish man's helicopter adventure ends badly

AckwelFoley · 25-11-2008 07:11PM #1

Irish man's helicopter adventure ends badly

An Irish judge has banned an unemployed man from flying for a year for landing a helicopter on a shopping mall.
Sean O'Brien says he landed on the mall's multistory parking garage in the town of Athlone in 2007 to collect newly cut keys for the helicopter's cockpit doors. He says he also hoped to qualify as an instructor.

But Athlone Judge David Anderson convicted the 50-year-old Monday of jeopardizing lives and property and operating a helicopter with blatant disregard.

security guard who took shelter in a stairway suffered an injured hand when the helicopter's backdraft slammed a door on it.

Experts said O'Brien risked blowing people over the edge of the building.

Source http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/article.html?Irish_mans_helicopter_adventure_ends_badly&in_article_id=417663&in_page_id=2

Unemployed people can afford helicopters.....

http://www.rofl.name/asciiart/lollermanche4vz.gif

Darragh29 · 25-11-2008 07:13PM

He's obviously been watching too much Magnum PI lately...

Quazzie · 25-11-2008 07:13PM

what kind of a moron gets his hand caught in a door?

FX Meister · 25-11-2008 07:17PM

Quazzie2002 wrote: »

what kind of a moron gets his hand caught in a door?

One who has a door slammed on it from a very powerful helicipter backdraft. Isn't it obvious? :rolleyes:

ShooterSF · 25-11-2008 07:36PM

He should ring his social office and tell them he's finding it hard to find a job near by now that he cant fly his chopper to work. Poor guy, times are hard as it is...

Caoimhín · 25-11-2008 07:37PM

I would have thought it is hard to run a helicopter on €190 dole a week.

dresden8 · 25-11-2008 07:49PM

jeopardizing lives and property

Some sentence for that conviction.

Tool.

xOxSinéadxOx · 25-11-2008 08:58PM

people with helicopters think they can do what they want

Bob the Builder · 25-11-2008 09:03PM

Experts said O'Brien risked blowing people over the edge of the building.

Sher the buildings are empty now anyway. Better value goods, and less rip-off merchants has already blown them 150 kilometres 'off the edge' to northern ireland.

Rowley Birkin QC · 25-11-2008 09:05PM

Anyone else think he is a bit of a hero??

Granted he showed blatant disregard for normal flight procedure and health and safety but probably the most interesting thing thats ever going to happen in Athlone shopping centre.

Bob the Builder · 25-11-2008 09:08PM

bigkev49 wrote: »

Anyone else think he is a bit of a hero??

Indeed and he is.
Fúck health and safety.

artanevilla · 25-11-2008 09:10PM

Absolute legend.

View Profile · 25-11-2008 09:21PM

http://img.metro.co.uk/i/pix/2008/02/Helicopter_175x125.jpg

I love the image they used for the helicopter.

Must be a military man if he's flying a NH90!

Hellm0 · 25-11-2008 10:11PM

I know if I had a helicopter no judge could stop me from flying it to the local shopping center to collect my newly cut keys. How would they stop me, throw rocks in the air?

slimjimmc · 25-11-2008 10:52PM

Clamp it?

towel401 · 25-11-2008 11:31PM

xOxSinéadxOx wrote: »

people with helicopters think they can do what they want

Helicopter is the new BMW

sinjin_smythe · 25-11-2008 11:59PM

somebody buy that man a can of coke !

Firetrap · 26-11-2008 12:39AM

A bit of local knowledge from my cousin.. that helicopter later bit the dust

http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0912/helicopter.html

Victor · 14-12-2009 05:41PM

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/1214/obriens.html

Pilot fined for landing helicopter on roof
Monday, 14 December 2009 15:07

A Co Offaly helicopter pilot who landed on the roof of a shopping centre to collect a set of keys has been given a six month suspended sentence and fined €5,000.

Sean O'Brien, aged 50, The Island, Ballycumber, Co Offaly, was convicted on ten charges relating to the incident at the Parkrite Texas Centre, Athlone, Co Westmeath on 7 July 2007.

He was released on bail from Athlone District Court last year on condition he did not operate an aircraft.
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Hearing the case this morning Judge David Anderson asked whether the defendant, who holds a US pilots' licence, was now in a position to display a knowledge of Irish aviation regulations.

Mr O'Brien said he had been studying the regulations but was unable to afford to go on any courses on the subject.

He claimed to have been applying 'completely different' flying instructions acquired in the US at the time of the incident.

'You are telling me in Florida there are no regulations in relation to landing a helicopter on top of a supermarket,' asked Judge Anderson.

Admitting he should not have landed in Athlone, or dropped below 1,500ft in a built up area, Mr O'Brien said 'I would never do that again'.

He described his own actions as 'dangerous' due to the lack of a designated landing area on the roof of the shopping centre.

Unconvinced, Judge Anderson said, 'Mr O'Brien still doesn't understand why he shouldn't land on a supermarket'.

Had there been an accident people could have been 'toasted' in a serious fire, he explained.

'The defendant now displays no grasp whatsoever of the rules, common sense, that is where he has difficulty,' said Judge Anderson.

Solicitor Tom Madden said his client was a man of 'no means' who did not own the helicopter and is now on disability.

The defendant had worked in the prison services until he retired at 30 following a shooting incident, he said.

O'Brien then set up a successful security business which ended following a 'bizarre' poisoning incident which left him unwell for a number of years.

Mr O'Brien now has no assets and, 'since your order he hasn't been taking to the skies', Mr Madden told Judge Anderson.

Although there were ten separate charges, Judge Anderson said the one overriding charge was that of 'dangerous and negligent' use of a helicopter.

He handed down a six month suspended sentence and fined the defendant €5,000 on this count while taking the remaining nine charges into consideration.

TheZohanS · 14-12-2009 06:32PM

artanevilla wrote: »

Absolute legend.

I don't think he's a legend.

He acted like a d!ick. Landing on a shopping centre to pick up a set of keys? FFS.

OutlawPete · 14-12-2009 06:54PM

TheZohan wrote: »

I don't think he's a legend.

He acted like a d!ick. Landing on a shopping centre to pick up a set of keys? FFS.

The only thing I can think of is that maybe there was a cute new girl working there he wanted to impress and he thought ..

'I know, I'll take the chopper!!'

Fool

Capt'n Midnight · 14-12-2009 07:20PM

I think we've all missed the point.

He left an unlocked vehicle in Athlone and it was there when he came back :eek:

asmobhosca · 14-12-2009 07:30PM

i wonder has anyone ever been pulled over by the garda heli for drinking and flying a helicopter?:D

The chopper type in question is about the size and weight of a bicycle, but it was still an utterly stupid thing to do, although quite amusing

Midnight_EG · 14-12-2009 08:13PM

snyper wrote: »

Source http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/article.html?Irish_mans_helicopter_adventure_ends_badly&in_article_id=417663&in_page_id=2

Unemployed people can afford helicopters.....

http://www.rofl.name/asciiart/lollermanche4vz.gif

Was his name really Monday?

orourkeda · 14-12-2009 08:17PM

OutlawPete wrote: »

The only thing I can think of is that maybe there was a cute new girl working there he wanted to impress and he thought ..

'I know, I'll take the chopper!!'

Fool

Maybe he can give her parking lessons while he's at it.

RMD · 14-12-2009 08:35PM

Hellm0 wrote: »

I know if I had a helicopter no judge could stop me from flying it to the local shopping center to collect my newly cut keys. How would they stop me, throw rocks in the air?

http://recision.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/javelin3.jpg

Ireland has a fair few of them available.

Nforce · 15-12-2009 12:00AM

Firetrap wrote: »

A bit of local knowledge from my cousin.. that helicopter later bit the dust

http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0912/helicopter.html

Different helicopter iirc, the one in question was an N registered MD500.

Edit...it was a Hughes 369... http://www.aaiu.ie/upload/general/10599-0.pdf

Rabies · 15-12-2009 12:24AM

All I find ridicules is the way the word unemployed is highlighted in the opening post.

Has the country got as low as that?

seclachi · 15-12-2009 12:28AM

Shure he has to get to the dole office somehow (and the locksmiths) ! :pac::pac:

Saibh · 15-12-2009 12:30AM

In a previous news article from 2008, it states he was a business man - doesn't say what type of business.

A businessman who landed his helicopter on the roof of a multi-storey car park next to a busy shopping centre intends to "fully defend" his actions.

Link

FarmerGreen · 15-12-2009 12:30AM

"Appointed Mr. Paddy Judge as the investigator."
Oh dear oh dear oh dear, we are going to be in trouble for this one.
Not half as funny as the Croatian who mistook a hotel for a runway.
http://www.aaiu.ie/AAIUviewitem.asp?id=11469&lang=ENG&loc=1280
I am just so glad it wasnt me.

Irish man's helicopter adventure ends badly

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