Belly Landing Nets Charge of Drunk Flying

A pilot charged with drunk driving three years ago was charged Tuesday with flying under the influence of alcohol after belly-landing his plane at Whiteman Airport in Pacoima earlier this month.

James Lee McCoy, 46, of Sylmar, also was charged in Van Nuys Municipal Court with careless and reckless flying, flying too low, and illegal possession of a loaded pistol and marijuana.

McCoy, who describes himself as a self-employed make-up artist, was arrested Sept. 7 after witnesses said he made several irregular passes over the airport and finally landed with the plane’s wheels up.

He is free on $1,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in court for arraignment Oct. 22.

TV and Movie Work

McCoy is listed as a member of the Makeup Artists and Hair Stylists Local 706, whose members work on television and movie productions. An unidentified employee there said McCoy is one of the guild’s more popular members and is working on a show she declined to name.

Los Angeles City Atty. James K. Hahn said police found McCoy drinking coffee in the airport bar after the crash. Five hours later, McCoy’s blood-alcohol content was 0.08 % when it was tested, Hahn said.

Under federal aviation regulations, a pilot with a blood-alcohol level of 0.04 % is considered to be under the influence of alcohol, Hahn said. The level is less than half the legal limit for drunk driving--0.1%--because the effects of alcohol become more intense at higher altitudes, Deputy City Atty. Kenneth F. Carrasco said.

According to Van Nuys Municipal Court records, McCoy was arrested by Los Angeles police July 18, 1984, for driving a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol. His blood-alcohol content was 0.2, records said.

The drunk-driving charge was dropped after McCoy pleaded guilty to reckless driving, records show. He was placed on probation Aug. 6, 1984, for three years and ordered to attend an alcohol counseling and education program.

Just before he belly-landed his plane at Whiteman Airport, witnesses reported spotting McCoy’s single-engine plane flying erratically as it circled the airport about 8:30 p.m., Hahn said. McCoy made several turns over the airport, at one point flying as low as 1,000 feet where the legal limit is 2,000 feet, Hahn said. He then attempted a landing on a runway no longer in use.

When the plane was examined after it landed on the correct runway, the wheels were up and locked in place, Hahn said.

Police, who smelled alcohol on McCoy’s breath, asked to see the pilot’s license, Hahn said, and as McCoy rummaged through a flight bag looking for his license, officers spotted a loaded, .25-caliber pistol and a small quantity of marijuana in a butter dish.

McCoy, who could not be reached for comment Tuesday, told police that he had put the landing gear down but that it collapsed during the landing, the police report shows.

McCoy’s attorney, David E. Wood, said Tuesday that a mechanical malfunction prevented the plane’s wheels from working properly. He said tests on McCoy showed no drugs. He also said that any pilot who flies over remote areas carries a gun for survival.

The misdemeanor charges carry maximum penalties of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine, except for the marijuana charge, which carries a maximum fine of $100.

The incident is under investigation by Federal Aviation Administration investigators, said Barbara Abels, an FAA spokeswoman. The FAA can suspend or revoke a pilot’s license if the investigation reveals a pilot has flown under the influence of alcohol, she said.