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Plane Flying in Restricted Airspace Cancels Orbital Rocket Launch to ISS

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A rogue aircraft canceled the launch of an Orbital ATK Antares rocket bound for the International Space Station on Saturday. (fortune.com) More...

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paultrubits
paul trubits 10
Launched this am. From 30nm away it sounded like a B707 flying over.
dee9bee
dee9bee 7
I'd like to hear 'The Rest of the Story'. They knew his position and altitude, so I assume the pilot was greeted by a few smiling faces when he landed at his destination.
Scjemail44
Sam Johnson 4
My guess it was a fish spotter.
VivPike
Viv Pike 5
"due to a small aircraft flying at 500 feet, roughly six miles off shore. It’s not specified whether the aircraft was commercial or private" ....

Well, if it was a commercial aircraft ......
geharper
Gary Harper 2
I am looking at the R6604-A restricted airspace map and it appears that if the aircraft was indeed 6 miles off shore, it would have been outside the restricted area and at 500 ft, it would have been under the adjoining 700 ft off shore restriction area. I wonder what the rest of the story is? Was there a Temporary Flight Restriction?
M20ExecDriver
M20ExecDriver 2
What, no "didn't file a flight plan"?? SMH
SteveDietrich
To the public "commercial " means air carrier not someone carrying the press for an insider look or a wandering drug importer.
Spoffo41
Bob Spofford 2
My mistake. I thought I read Vandeburg
M20ExecDriver
M20ExecDriver 1
Roger. :-)
num1tailhooker
Can't cure stupid.
whherron
How about finding the “rogue” pilot and billing him for the delay?
JohnEwins
John Ewins 1
There is 'stupid' in the air and on the ground.
pete3500
Pete Lehmann 1
Seriously? Dumb reporter. "Not clear if it was commercial or private". So here's the deal, and this is a stretch: maybe jussssst maybe, the was in fact a commercial pilot and he was hired by someone to take them in a single engine airplane to go watch the rocket launch. But we all know the reporter was talking about commercial scheduled air carrier...The pilot doesn't even know, and probably never will. They don't launch to intercept aircraft penetrating TFRs unless it's a POTUS, National Security Event, or the Washington DC SFRA.
ZeroGee
James Carter 1
...and with ADS-B OUT they won't have to launch.
Wingrat
Wingrat 0
What a surprise!! Idiots are everywhere. I assume the craft was escorted to the ground.I agree send the idiot a
Bill for their ignorant behavior.
Spoffo41
Bob Spofford -3
Six miles offshore at 500 feet sounds a lot like the large helicopters that shuttle workers all the time between Santa Maria (KSMX) and the offshore oil platforms in that area. (Even the dumbest private pilot in a single is smart enough not to be that low that far out over very cold water.) I hate to think that a pro flying for that helo service would go to work without checking the day's NOTAMS, but dumber things have happened.
M20ExecDriver
M20ExecDriver 2
Huh? The SNAFU was off the coast of Virginia. That's on the east coast of the United States, about 3500 miles from SMX. The tree huggers won't allow offshore wind farms let alone oil drilling.
pthomas745
Pa Thomas 1
There are plenty of rigs off the California Coast. Still have lots of nice trees, too.
https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Offshore_oil_and_gas_in_California
ZeroGee
James Carter 1
Unless there was a TFR, the aircraft was outside the Restricted Airspace and the article didn't say single or multi-engine aircraft so the assumption that 500' 6 miles offshore is dumb may not be valid. Also, didn't say the aircraft was a helo or fixed wing. Helo pilots get nosebleeds over 500' AGL... :-)

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