Investigations

On November 1, 2017, former private pilot Brian Woodhams was sentenced in U.S. District Court, Buffalo, New York, to time served (1 day), supervised release (1 year), and a $100 special court assessment. Woodhams was also ordered to adhere to the terms of an FAA Emergency Order of Revocation, issued on October 26, 2017, effectively revoking his private pilot’s certificate.

 

On July 28, 2017, Woodhams pleaded guilty to making false statements to FAA Aviation Safety Inspectors and a DOT-OIG Special Agent regarding the crash of his airplane on October 31, 2015, at Perry-Warsaw Airport in upstate New York. At the time of the crash, Woodhams was a certificated student pilot prohibited by FAA rules from having passengers in his aircraft without a flight instructor present. However, he had a passenger during this particular flight, which he denied when interviewed by FAA and DOT-OIG officials. The passenger was injured in the crash.

 

This investigation was conducted by DOT-OIG and FAA’s Flight Standards District Office. The prosecution is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of New York.