No doubt you’ve heard about the tragic crash in New York by now – Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle and his flight instructor, for unknown reasons, struck a high-rise while flying Lidle’s Cirrus SR20. I’m not going to speculate; there are any number of causes that can lead to a crash, and until the investigation is complete we won’t have enough information.

That, of course, doesn’t stop the media and think tank idiots from spouting off about security. An expert has stated that this accident shows that ”...a small plane can do extensive damage.” That’s debatable; the damage caused seems relatively high, but that’s for the NYFD to decide. A real expert counters with a valid question, one which has been constantly overlooked since September 11: if we ban light aircraft, shouldn’t we also ban trucks? The total payload of Lidle’s SR20 is under 700 pounds, significantly less than a small u-haul.

Our nation’s security is always an issue, as it should be. But it should be a logical issue. If you ban one type of vehicle from cities, others with equivalent (or higher) payloads and capacities should also be banned.

Lidle was by all accounts an avid, natural pilot who loved flying. It would be a shame if his death was perverted into legislation that bans people from experiencing the joy of flight.

Update (Oct 13): the AOPA’s ever-active president, Phil Boyer, weighs in on this kind of fearmongering:

If you’re truly serious about “protecting” the public … [using] the “logic” you apply to general aviation aircraft, you’re forced to conclude that newspapers, winter coats, cell phones, backpacks, trucks, and boats all pose much greater risks to the public.

Also interesting is that the only politician who vocally supports the existing airspace around New York is that city’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Maybe it’s worth listening to his opinion, as he’s actually a pilot and, well, the mayor.