http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ ... onnecticut
Plane's joyride not so joyful, teen tells police
July 17, 2005, 12:29 PM EDT
DANBURY, Conn. -- An airplane joyride that followed a night of drinking was shadowed by fears of running out of fuel, being lost and the prospect of death, one of the alleged participants told police.
Andrew Mentch, 16, said he and two others who have been charged in the June 22 incident seemed to have been lost, according to arrest warrant affidavits reported Saturday by The News-Times of Danbury. Their destination, New Haven, was nowhere in sight, he told police.
More urgent, however, the pilot said the four-seat Cessna taken from Danbury Municipal Airport was running out of fuel, Mentch told police.
"There was nothing basically we could do," he said. "I was thinking that I'm going to die."
Mentch and Thomas Cascio III, also 16, were the passengers. Each was charged with a felony count of circumventing airport security.
Police say Philippe Patricio, 20, piloted the plane, which he eventually landed at Westchester County Airport. He faces several charges, including possession of stolen property, reckless endangerment and resisting arrest.
Patricio, who was interviewed by Westchester County police, said he and the two boys met at Cascio's home. The youths, all of Bethel, were drinking beer and "hanging out," Patricio said, according to police.
He had been drinking previously at a friend's house, he said.
"We got in Philippe's car and he drove to Danbury Airport," Mentch told police. The trio jumped the fence to gain access, he said.
Police at Danbury and Westchester County said they recovered beer and broken beer bottles at the two airports. Bottle caps were found in the aircraft cabin, police said.
"Philippe stuck his fingers in the gas tank to check how much fuel there was. He said there was enough fuel," Mentch said. "He opened the door of the airplane without a key. We got in, Philippe, Tom and I, and Philippe started the plane. He checked the lights. They all worked fine and he flew off."
Despite drinking beer, Patricio told his passengers he was "all right to fly a plane," according to court documents.
The drinking continued in the airplane, Mentch told police. He said Patricio drank one beer as he piloted the craft.
"Cascio stated that he looked at the fuel gauge and the needle was on empty," the affidavit said.
"We said, 'Find anything to land on,"' Mentch told police. "I saw what looked kinda like an airport. I saw airplanes. We circled around looking for a place to land and then we flew down and landed on a taxi strip, I think it's called."
, there are some real idiots in this world
