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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MORNING REPORT Friday, March 3, 2012 INCIDENTS Joshua Tree NP Cessna Pilot Makes Emergency Landing In Park The pilot of a single-engine Cessna 182 made an emergency landing on the Pinto Basin Road on Wednesday afternoon. The aircraft, piloted by R.P. of Sun City, Arizona, was on a flight from Pleasant Valley, Arizona, to Hemet, California, when a lack of fuel forced the pilot to land on the park road. Neither the pilot nor his passenger was injured during the emergency landing. The emergency landing was reported to park rangers about 3:50 p.m., and they responded along with personnel from the California Highway Patrol, Riverside County Sheriff's Department, and Indio Fire Department. The pilot said that strong head winds led to higher than normal fuel consumption causing the plane to run low on fuel. The plane suffered minor damage to the wings from impacts to vegetation and it was removed to the side of the road to clear the roadway for vehicle traffic. Federal Aviation Administration officials ordered that the plane not be flown out of the park. After further consultation between park officials and the pilot, it was agreed to remove the plane by tow truck. The plane was taken to Chiriaco Summit on Wednesday evening. [Joe Zarki, Public Information Officer] Shenandoah NP Ranger Intervenes In Suspected Suicide Attempt Ranger Robert Sloop came upon a tan passenger vehicle that matched the description of one being driven by a known suicidal person just inside the park boundary while on patrol this past Tuesday. As he was attempting to contact the driver, the vehicle was quickly driven away. Sloop pursued, following it out of the park and requesting assistance from officers from the adjoining county. A Green County deputy took over as the primary unit. The pursuit continued for another eight miles, where a second Green County deputy and a state trooper employed a moving roadblock maneuver to stop the car. The driver was taken into custody and transported to a hospital for evaluation. [Leslie Reynolds, Chief Ranger] OTHER NEWS The following stories are among those in today's edition of InsideNPS. To see the full text, including images, NPS employees should go to the InsideNPS home page ( HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index). Non-NPS employees can see most of them on the NPS Digest page ( HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/): Great Smoky Mountains NP - The new Oconaluftee Visitor Center, which opened last April, has just received certification at the gold level under the US Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system. Casa Grande Ruins NM - Approximately 3,000 visitors celebrated Native American culture at the fourth annual American Indian Arts Fest during a weekend in mid-February. Cape Hatteras NS - Biological technician Michael “Mike” Piatak, 31, passed away on Tuesday, February 21st, at his home in Kill Devil Hills. US Park Police - Two USPP officers from the San Francisco Field Office were recognized last month by the Bay Area chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving for their efforts to reduce drunk driving. Servicewide Training and Conference Calendar - A compilation of upcoming training courses and conferences across the nation, plus online training. Added to this week's calendar is a law enforcement refresher at George Washington Birthplace in Virginia. * * * * The Morning Report is a publication of the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, produced with the support of the Office of the Assistant Director for Information Resources and the Office of the Chief Information Officer. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@nps.gov). --- ### --- |