California pilot accused of flying drunk

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PETALUMA, Calif., Jan. 5 (UPI) -- A pilot flying erratically over California failed a sobriety test after landing at an airport and faces charges of flying under the influence, authorities said.

The California Highway Patrol said two of its officers in a patrol plane over Highway 37 in Sonoma County spotted the aircraft flying in an erratic manner Tuesday night.

"He rolled the aircraft almost completely inverted. [It] didn't roll all the way over, but rolled inverted and rolled back. Did it three times," CHP pilot Jim Andrews told KTVU-TV, Oakland.

The Aero Trek plane, a model not authorized for aerobatics, was flying as low as 50 feet off the ground at times and getting dangerously close to freeway traffic, the Highway Patrol said.

Michael Ferrero, 62, of Penngrove, initially was accused of flying recklessly after landing at Petaluma airport, but CHP officers administered a field sobriety test when they detected the odor of alcohol on his breath.

"This is very unusual for us," Andrews said. "I've been here 10 years in the air ops unit and I've never seen it.

"Anytime somebody goes and does something like this it reflects badly on all of us. We're very fortunate he didn't cause any crashes on the roadway," Andrews said.

In addition to the flying-under-the-influence and reckless-flying charges, Ferrero could face penalties from the Federal Aviation Administration of suspension or even revocation of his pilot's license.