Pilot Who 'Alarmed' Neighbors Suspended From East Hampton Airport

EAST HAMPTON, NY — Town officials are cracking down to help ensure safety at East Hampton airport — including the suspension of a local pilot who alarmed residents during a recent flight.

According to East Hampton Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc, local pilot David Wisner has been prohibited by airport manager Jim Brundige from flying any aircraft at East Hampton Airport for 90 days. The suspension resulted from "the careless and reckless operation of his single-engine Cessna during an April 13 flight that alarmed the community," a release from Van Scoyoc said.

According to data from the East Hampton Airport’s flight tracking system, Wisner "dangerously overflew populated areas at altitudes as low as 25 feet," Van Scoyoc's release said.

Wisner also recently turned himself in at the Sag Harbor Village Police Department and faces a criminal charge for reckless endangerment; the Federal Aviation Administration is also investigating whether Wisner’s pilot’s license should be suspended or revoked, Van Scoyoc's release said.

Wisner did not immediately return a call for comment.

Town officials also announced Friday that, with the busy summer season approaching, East Hampton Airport's air traffic control tower will no longer allow helicopter and seaplane pilots to request "special handling" in weather conditions with poor visibility.

Known as "Special VFR," the practice allows "unqualified aircraft and pilots to fly in bad weather if special permission is requested before arriving or departing the East Hampton Airport," town officials said.

The East Hampton town board and Brundige have spoken out in opposition to Special VFR, something they said has increasingly become standard operating procedure when the weather is overcast on the East End, resulting in flights at very low altitudes.

Brundige’s notice to the FAA regarding the town’s Special VFR ban raised several safety concerns about the procedure.

"After careful consideration of these and other safety factors, our contract air traffic control tower has been advised to deny any requests for Special VFR clearances," town officials said.

According to East Hampton Town Councilman Jeff Bragman, the airport's liaison, the recent
actions demonstrate the town board’s commitment to taking "swift action against anyone who
uses the East Hampton Airport in an unsafe manner.”

"The safety of the residents of East Hampton Town and other communities under the flight paths cannot be compromised by East Hampton Airport users,” said Van Scoyoc. “While the town continues to seek ways to mitigate the airport’s noise impacts, within difficult Federal Aviation Administration constraints, there is no question that we must act decisively to address any and all aviation safety issues."