Student pilot boarded plane at Orlando Melbourne

[Jim Young 2,356]

Maybe a copycat attempt to take an AA A321 for a ride?  Jumps a fence, goes to a maintenance area and then climbs into an A321.  Have a feeling he will no longer be a student pilot...

http://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/news/2018/09/20/police-orlando-melbourne-international-airport-lockdown

 

[charliearon 3,017]

36 minutes ago, Jim Young said:

  Have a feeling he will no longer be a student pilot...

 

 

Always thought that was the first test a student had to pass to continue with his training??

[Chock 17,769]

If it was a copycat attempt at nicking a plane, it ain't a very intelligent one...

Clearly to board an A321 it'd need stairs on it for you to get in, so how do you get the stairs off it and clear of the aircraft so you can taxi out without assistance from the ground?

Not to mention possibly needing a pushback and/or a GPU or an air starter if it was in the maintenance area. And fuel, and oil, and probably gear pins which need removing and so on. Bit more to nicking an A321 than there is to a Dash 8.

Edited September 20, 2018 by Chock

[Jim Young 2,356]

12 minutes ago, Chock said:

Clearly to board an A321 it'd need stairs on it for you to get in, so how do you get the stairs off it and clear of the aircraft so you can taxi out without assistance from the ground? 

According to the news report, he actually got into the aircraft cockpit as he was first discovered there.

[Sticky 267]

im more shocked AA brings A321's into KMLB..

[Matthew Kane 1,343]

2 hours ago, Chock said:

Clearly to board an A321 it'd need stairs on it for you to get in, so how do you get the stairs off it and clear of the aircraft so you can taxi out without assistance from the ground?

Back it up using Thrust Reversers, freak everyone out within proximity of it.

EDIT: This guys got it sorted:

 

Edited September 20, 2018 by Matthew Kane

[n4gix 4,947]

Some airports do allow reverse thrust when there aren't any pushback vehicles available. It's increasingly rare however due to possible FOD being blasted into the terminal's windows among other things.

[n4gix 4,947]

4 hours ago, Jim Young said:

According to the news report, he actually got into the aircraft cockpit as he was first discovered there.

There was already two maintenance personnel aboard when he entered the aircraft.

[Chock 17,769]

10 hours ago, Matthew Kane said:

Back it up using Thrust Reverser

Yup, I know that you could do that and it was common for DC-9s and 727s to do it before everyone got PC about noise levels, but what I was referring to was if the stairs were on the port rear door of an A321 - as is common for maintenance procedures - then you would not be able to back it away from the stairs as they'd hit the trailing edge of the port wing when you backed up.

[vc10man 732]

Sharp observance and possible logic, Alan. Nice.

[Paul Golding 92]

14 hours ago, Jim Young said:

Maybe a copycat attempt to take an AA A321 for a ride?  Jumps a fence, goes to a maintenance area and then climbs into an A321.  Have a feeling he will no longer be a student pilot...

http://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/news/2018/09/20/police-orlando-melbourne-international-airport-lockdown

 

A bit of journalistic license with this story I think.

Apparently he is a part-time aviation management student that already has a commercial license, so yes, a pilot and a student but not a student pilot.  Also, the Airbus was hangered with the nose to the back and chocked too.  And he left his car parked at the terminal with the engine running.

Can't help thinking that a drink or two will turn out to be involved here 😂

https://www.pprune.org/rumours-news/613575-student-pilot-charged-attempting-steal-a321.html

[stans 702]

Soooooo... I guess he left his car running just in case he could not leave via stolen aircraft?  I guess it's always good to have a plan B, just in case plan A does not work out.

[Chock 17,769]

4 hours ago, Paul Golding said:

Can't help thinking that a drink or two will turn out to be involved here 😂

Yup, quite possibly, but unfortunately for the guy involved, I suspect the authorities are not going to let an excuse like that allow for any leniency. Whatever happens, I think his fledgling aviation career is over.

Edited September 21, 2018 by Chock