News (Media Awareness Project) - US: Hero Transat Pilot Has Drug Trafficking Record |
| Title: | US: Hero Transat Pilot Has Drug Trafficking Record |
| Published On: | 2001-08-31 |
| Source: | Toronto Star (CN ON) |
| Fetched On: | 2008-01-25 09:17:01 |
HERO TRANSAT PILOT HAS DRUG TRAFFICKING RECORD
Capt. Robert Piche Jailed 2 Years In U.S. In 1980s, Newspaper Says
MONTREAL (CP) - The Air Transat pilot who glided a crippled jet to a safe
landing off Portugal last week served nearly two years in U.S. prisons for
drug trafficking, Montreal La Presse reported today.
The newspaper, citing a corrections spokesman for the state of Georgia,
said Robert Piche was found guilty in Nov. 1983 of "trafficking a quantity
of marijuana weighing between 101 and 200 pounds."
La Presse reported that Capt. Piche, now 49, was piloting a Piper Aztec
turboprop that landed at the airport in Tattnall County, Ga., 300
kilometres southeast of Atlanta on June 21, 1983.
The newspaper reported that the aircraft attempted to take off again after
a police officer gave chase.
The officer managed to flag down the plane and subsequently discovered
Piche alone in the cockpit with 53 bags of marijuana weighing more than 220
kilograms, according to La Presse.
Piche was charged with marijuana trafficking, failing to stop when pursued
by a police officer, and obstructing a police officer, La Presse reported.
The paper said Piche, who is to be honoured in the Quebec legislature for
last Friday's landing, was not available for comment.
The newspaper reported that Piche was imprisoned in June and July, 1983 and
again from Nov. 17, 1983, to March 20, 1985.
Piche was subsequently transferred to a prison outside Georgia until he
received a conditional release on April 8, 1986, according to La Presse.
Piche was on probation until November, 1993.
Air Transat spokesman Michel Lemay confirmed Piche's arrest and
imprisonment in an interview with La Presse.
Piche, a native of Mont-Joli, Que., has been an employee of Air Transat
since 1996.
He was hailed as a hero for landing the Air Transat Airbus A330 on an
island in the Azores after both engines cut out.
A lack of fuel had caused the jet with 291 passengers and 13 crew members
aboard to run out of fuel.
Air Transat was told yesterday by Transport Canada to immediately implement
special training sessions for flight crew working on extended flights.
Capt. Robert Piche Jailed 2 Years In U.S. In 1980s, Newspaper Says
MONTREAL (CP) - The Air Transat pilot who glided a crippled jet to a safe
landing off Portugal last week served nearly two years in U.S. prisons for
drug trafficking, Montreal La Presse reported today.
The newspaper, citing a corrections spokesman for the state of Georgia,
said Robert Piche was found guilty in Nov. 1983 of "trafficking a quantity
of marijuana weighing between 101 and 200 pounds."
La Presse reported that Capt. Piche, now 49, was piloting a Piper Aztec
turboprop that landed at the airport in Tattnall County, Ga., 300
kilometres southeast of Atlanta on June 21, 1983.
The newspaper reported that the aircraft attempted to take off again after
a police officer gave chase.
The officer managed to flag down the plane and subsequently discovered
Piche alone in the cockpit with 53 bags of marijuana weighing more than 220
kilograms, according to La Presse.
Piche was charged with marijuana trafficking, failing to stop when pursued
by a police officer, and obstructing a police officer, La Presse reported.
The paper said Piche, who is to be honoured in the Quebec legislature for
last Friday's landing, was not available for comment.
The newspaper reported that Piche was imprisoned in June and July, 1983 and
again from Nov. 17, 1983, to March 20, 1985.
Piche was subsequently transferred to a prison outside Georgia until he
received a conditional release on April 8, 1986, according to La Presse.
Piche was on probation until November, 1993.
Air Transat spokesman Michel Lemay confirmed Piche's arrest and
imprisonment in an interview with La Presse.
Piche, a native of Mont-Joli, Que., has been an employee of Air Transat
since 1996.
He was hailed as a hero for landing the Air Transat Airbus A330 on an
island in the Azores after both engines cut out.
A lack of fuel had caused the jet with 291 passengers and 13 crew members
aboard to run out of fuel.
Air Transat was told yesterday by Transport Canada to immediately implement
special training sessions for flight crew working on extended flights.
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