Plane Lands On Lake Hazeltine, Pilot Arrested



For all the theatrics that played out on the course this past weekend at Hazeltine National Golf Club, most of the folks on the grounds were only able to catch a small fraction of it. The sheer amount of people there, coupled with the minuscule amount of actual golf being played results in a whole lot of wait and hope-to-see. 

One intrepid fan, however, found a way around the 10-deep crowds surrounding every green: he just flew his single-engine float plane out onto Lake Hazeltine behind No. 7 green and got an unobstructed view practically free of charge.

KARE 11 from Minneapolis had the story

A man who tried to get the best seats to watch Sunday’s Ryder Cup finale is now under investigation by federal authorities.

A spokesperson with the FAA says an investigation is open into the incident after a pilot landed his small plane on Lake Hazeltine near Hole 7, but that there weren’t any temporary flight restrictions over that area. Still, authorities with the city say that lake is private and not accessible to the public.

The single-engine Piper plane, a 0-320 series, flew onto the lake around 2:30 p.m., during the final day of competition between the European and American teams.

Chaska Police say the pilot and his passenger were removed by officers from the plane and cited, after authorities took a rowboat out to the plane. The plane remained on site while the competition continued and was removed once the event was over.

This guy was willing to fly a plane practically onto a golf course and get arrested for it? And people say American’s don’t care about the Ryder Cup.

[KARE 11]

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