Retired Navy Pilot Highlights Danger of Old Age.

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Virginian pilot John Pendergrast, a retired U.S. Naval Aviator, created havoc in the controlled airspace of John F. Kennedy airport when he wandered into the landing approach for runway 22L while trying to figure out where the heck he was.

He was trying to find Republic Airport in Long Island, while flying an home-built experimental Ryan RV-7A.

It is clear from maps provided of the blundering pilot's aerial escapades that he must have been flying under visual flight rules and mistook Long Island for Captree Bridge island, where he then intended to turn north.

Just like when a lost person drives a car, when that person finally realizes that they are lost, they often do crazy and unsafe things while driving that can create havoc for the others that are sharing the roadways.

What is extremely surprising is that as a former naval aviator (we don't know the type of aircraft he flew, could be anything from propeller cargo aircraft to high-speed jet fighters) he should be highly experienced with the use of navigational aids as well as communication protocols when flying through controlled airspace.

Could it be that Mr. Pendergrast is simply too old to be permitted to fly? How else do you explain the amateurish mistakes made by a man who likely has thousands of hours of flight time in highly controlled environments. To compound his error he circled through the approach lanes for JFK airport in an attempt to get his bearings. In doing so he forced controllers with whom he was NOT in communication to divert several aircraft and an Eva Boeing 747 had to abort a landing approach.

Fortunately, the NY police department sent a helicopter to guide him down to Republic Airport, where he was able to land his aircraft safely without further incident. What is likely to be much less fortunate is that I would expect that his pilot's license will be either revoked or he will be cited and heavily fined for essentially putting the lives of hundreds of people in serious jeopardy.

If you look at national statistics with regards to who causes car crashes, we find that the most common offenders are teenagers with very little time behind the wheel of a car. This is followed by elder citizens, who have lost the motor skills or eye-hand coordination to safely operate a car. It has been my opinion for a long time that anybody above 59 years of age should be required to take a driving test every two years. Remember: Driving a car or piloting an aircraft is a privilege, not a right. Unsafe drivers need to be taken off the streets or out of the air. The consequences are simply too tragic to ignore these statistics.