FAA: Low-Flying Jet In Ramapo Was Testing Flight Path
RAMAPO, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A low-flying jet that caused a scare this week in Ramapo was actually conducting a navigational check for the flight path to Teterboro Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said Friday.
The mid-size twin engine jet was seen by officers and residents flying extremely low around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, along the New York State Thruway from Airmont Road in Airmont to the Garden State Extension in Chestnut Ridge, police said.
The FAA said the Challenger CL 60 aircraft was flying as part of a "flight check" of navigational aids and obstacles on the approach to Teterboro.
Air traffic controllers knew about the flight, but could not track it in its entirety because the pilots had to fly below radar coverage at altitudes of 1,000 feet to complete their project, the FAA said.
But even police officers in Ramapo were alarmed when they saw the jet flying at what Chief Brad Weidel estimated at 200 and 500 feet off the ground at any given time, with its landing gear down.
Many officers said it appeared as though the jet was going to crash or attempt an emergency landing on the thruway.
"When I observed it I did not see any smoke coming out of it, it was extremely low," Weidel said. "A logical conclusion was maybe that it was going to try to land on the thruway."
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