Investigations

On December 16, 2019, Arnold Peterson of Big Pine, California, was sentenced in U.S. District Court, Fresno, California, for operating a plane without a pilot’s certificate. Peterson was sentenced to 1 month of imprisonment, 12 months of supervised release, a $5,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.

 

The investigation revealed that on June 8, 2017, Peterson flew a private aircraft through Class C airspace at the Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport without contacting air traffic control (ATC). Aircraft are required to communicate with ATC via two-way radio before entering and while flying in Class C airspace. Peterson’s actions caused a regional jet to deviate from its flight path. ATC tracked his aircraft until it landed at the Portales Municipal Airport in Portales, New Mexico. Peterson’s FAA-issued pilot’s certificate had been revoked on June 17, 2014, and his plane’s registration had also expired.

 

DOT-OIG conducted this investigation with FAA’s assistance.