Pilot & Pax that crashed sentenced 2 years in federal prison

[golden hawk]

Pilot and Passenger that crashed plane in Yoakum County sentenced to 2 years in federal prison
Posted: Nov 08, 2013 1:55 PM PST Updated: Nov 08, 2013 1:55 PM PST
Posted by KCBD Staff

Provided by The United States Attorney's Office

A pilot and his passenger, who belly landed their Beechcraft plane at the Yoakum County Airport on April 30, 2013, and subsequently admitted possessing with the intent to distribute 50 kilograms or more of marijuana, were sentenced this morning in federal court in Lubbock, Texas. Pilot Gregory Thomas, 50, of Sacramento, California, and his passenger, Dorothea Cangelosi, 66, of Waller, Texas, were each sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings to 24 months in federal prison. Today's announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.

According to plea documents filed in the case, on April 30, 2013, deputies with the Yoakum County Sheriff's Department (YCSD) responded to a plane crash at the Yoakum County Airport, in Plains, Texas. When they arrived, they observed a Beechcraft Bonanza A36 plane that had belly landed in a field approximately 50 yards past the end of the runway.

On April 29, 2013, the day before the crash, Cangelosi flew a commercial airline from Houston, Texas, to Sacramento, California, where she met up with Thomas, a charter pilot, who was paid approximately $5,000 cash to fly her from Sacramento back to Houston. They left Sacramento during the early morning hours of April 30, 2013, and in route to Houston, landed in Plains to refuel. After fueling, the plane encountered engine problems when attempting to take off and crashed.

The YCSD received a 911 call from an individual who reported seeing a female with bags by a road that runs parallel to the airport. Later, deputies located four large canvas duffel bags that were hidden next to a bush more than 100 yards from the crash site. A YCSD drug-detector dog alerted on the bags for the presence of drugs and deputies discovered 151 individual packages of marijuana, with a total weight of 72.8 kilograms or 160 pounds. The drug-detector dog also alerted to the presence of drugs inside the plane.

Thomas admits that after the plane crashed, he and Cangelosi retrieved the duffel bags from the plane's passenger compartment and hid them more than 100 yards away, across two barbed-wire fences and a road, from the plane. Cangelosi admitted that Thomas carried most of the bags and threw some of them over the fence. They both admitted that they had intended to distribute the marijuana to other individuals in Houston.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Aviation Administration, the YCSD and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Cunningham prosecuted.

http://www.kcbd.com/story/23919517/pilo ... ral-prison

[Colonel Sanders]

I'm trying to figure out what I can learn from this accident.

Only thing that occurs to me: If I crash a Bonanza with
160 lbs of MaryJane in it, smoke it all before the cops
show up. Not sure there would be enough Doritos in
the entire county for that, though.

Anyone else got a "lesson learned" from this?

[Doc]

Obvious lesson here. If you're transporting 160 pounds of "Mary Jane", don't draw attention to yourself. Don't drive 140 in a 90 zone......and....wait for it.....PUT THE BLOODY GEAR DOWN!

[CFR]

Probably the only scenario where you are hoping for a post crash fire!

[Big Pistons Forever]

Anyone else got a "lesson learned" from this?

They did a "Good Job"

[photofly]

Don't sample the cargo before the aircraft is safely tied down at the end of the flight?

[Doc]

Always carry a butane lighter!?

[iflyforpie]

It looks like these aviators.......

.......have gotten their last high.

YEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!

[willow burner]

If you "roll one" up in a ball, be sure to "burn it" after?

[bizjets101]

Anyone recall the 'N' Cessna that hit the trees attempting to land at Maple Airport where Canada's Wonderland now is??

The private pilot had flown the Cessna from Michigan, as they were coming down highway 400, it began to snow heavily - they were clicking the mike attempting to turn the landing lights of Maple Airport on - staring out the window, when wham - they flew into the trees.

They unloaded 500 lbs of Hash Oil and carried it to Jane Street making a safe getaway. They were arrested two years later due to another incident - that person told on everyone involved.

[RatherBeFlying]

I remember reading the story the day after the crash was discovered. At the time it seemed the intended airport was King City as the heading and offset from Hwy 400 was about right, but the pilot picked the wrong gas station to land a couple miles North of. This was before GPS.

Note to all of those pilots who claim it's too dangerous to fly at night in a single: The folks in this plane all walked away after putting it under control into the trees -- not that they saw them until exiting the aircraft.