Sunday, July 14, 2013

Pilot OK but under arrest after glider goes down on Badger Mountain, Washington

BADGER MOUNTAIN — An East Wenatchee man originally from the Czech Republic was uninjured Friday after landing his glider in a wheat field off Badger Mountain Road.

Pilot Vitek Siroku, 65, was arrested for obstructing justice for failing to speak or cooperate with Douglas County Sheriff’s Office deputies, Sheriff Harvey Gjesdal said Saturday.

“The asked him some basic questions, and he refused to answer,” Gjesdal said. “They warned him several times that he would be arrested if he didn’t cooperate.”

The incident was reported just before 4 p.m. Friday, when an area resident saw the glider go down in a wheat field owned by longtime area farmer Mike Doneen.

The field is on the north side of Badger Mountain Road, near the Canyon Hills subdivision, Gjesdal said. The glider, a 1981 Schleicher two-passenger craft, was registered to the pilot. It did not appear to have been damaged in the landing, Gjesdal said.

Deputies got the pilot’s name from his pilot’s license, Gjesdal said.

They reported the incident to the Federal Aviation Administration, which gave them permission to remove the craft from the field, he said.


Glider Pilot Arrested:   Listen here 

Story, Photo, Comments/Reaction:   http://www.wenatcheeworld.com

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