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BIRMINGHAM—A Hayden man pleaded guiltyWednesday in federal court to interfering with the June flight of a restoredbiplane landing at a private airfield beside his Blount County home by firingseveral shotgun blasts, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance and FBIActing Special Agent in Charge Robert E. Haley, III.
Jason Allen McCay, 36, entered his pleabefore U.S. District Judge Virginia Emerson Hopkins to one count of attemptingto interfere with the authorized operation of an aircraft flying in the UnitedStates.
McCay is scheduled for sentencingJanuary 10. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a$250,000 fine.
According to McCay’s plea and other courtdocuments, his interference with the aircraft occurred as follows:
McCay fired several shots from a12-gauge semi-automatic Maverick shotgun as a restored 1943 Boeing Stearmanbiplane flew over his home on June 22 on its final approach to land on CampbellField, a private grass strip runway next to McCay’s home. The plane was at analtitude of about 75 feet and was about 300 feet from touching down when McCayfired the shots.
Fred Campbell, who built the airstrip in1963, bought the Stearman biplane in 1976 and, since that time, he and friendshave completely rebuilt the plane. The plane had not flown for 30 years whenthey took it up on test flights June 22. The plane was concluding its thirdtest flight of the day when McCay fired his shots.
McCay previously had filed numerouscomplaints with various agencies about airplanes flying over his house. He toldinvestigators he fired when the Stearman biplane flew over his home because hewanted to scare the people on board.
The FBI and the Department of HomelandSecurity investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael WhisonantSr. prosecuted.
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