Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Water Rage In Halibut Cove

It is hard to believe that her actions didn't fall under reckless endangerment. Towards the end you can hear his prop hit the water due to the wake she threw when she came within feet of a collision.

I'm not saying that they pilot was in the right, and he may be a real a-hole, but I don't see how some can say that he was at fault and should have yielded her the right of way. She was weaving around him in a random manner and was obviously harassing him, so I don't see how anyone can say that "he could see where she was going" or whatever.

Honestly, if the pilot had shot her and claimed self defense, I would think that he would gotten away with it. I mean, could any of you argue with him if he said, "I feared for my life, and my passengers, because the boat was trying to sink my plane. So I had to shoot in self defense..."

Charges have been filed.






The owner of a well-known restaurant in Halibut Cove was indicted last week on federal charges accusing her of engaging in a dangerous interaction between a boat and floatplane last summer.

The incident Aug. 23 in the small community across Kachemak Bay from Homer was captured on video and has been widely circulated online. The footage shows a boat making extremely close passes in front of a float-equipped de Havilland Beaver DHC-2.

A federal grand jury indicted Marian Beck, owner of The Saltry Restaurant, on Jan. 19 on charges of attempted destruction of an aircraft and gross negligent operation of a vessel. Beck declined to comment on the case when reached by phone Thursday but said she did nothing wrong and has hired an attorney.


The plane’s pilot, Eric Lee, previously told the Anchorage Daily News that he was initially confused when the boat began making passes at his plane, appearing to come “straight at” him. Lee, who owns Alaska Ultimate Safaris out of Homer, said he was taking a group of people on a sightseeing tour of Katmai National Park and Preserve that day.

Lee told a reporter he flew into the west entrance of Halibut Cove, picked up passengers from the Stillpoint Lodge, and was taxiing back into the bay with seven passengers when the aluminum boat began making passes at the plane.

Lee, who could not be reached by phone Thursday, said at the time he did not know the woman driving the boat, which came within feet of the aircraft.

The indictment against Beck contains few details about the incident. It’s unclear what may have motivated her actions. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Schmidt said Thursday he was not able to comment on the case.

Beck and her husband opened The Saltry in 1984. She is one of four children of the late Clem Tillion, a longtime, influential state legislator who died in 2021.

Beck is scheduled to appear at an arraignment hearing next week.

But,...but..."Right of Way", um....."Pilot is a bad guy", etc. You know, the thing!

The old point that anyone could get a grand jury to indict a baked potato? Going at it from outside the Coast Guard... you know the Fed branch that regulates waters, or the FAA, the ones that rule the air? Months after the incident?

No telling what will happen, but it is oitside the usual course of things.

Da plane was on the water at the time of the incident.

Exactly! And the pecking order states clearly that a seaplane on the water has the lowest priority.

Exactly! And the pecking order states clearly that a seaplane on the water has the lowest priority.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-...group-ECFRe4c59b5f5506932/section-91.115

§ 91.115 Right-of-way rules: Water operations.

(a) General. Each person operating an aircraft on the water shall, insofar as possible, keep clear of all vessels and avoid impeding their navigation, and shall give way to any vessel or other aircraft that is given the right-of-way by any rule of this section.

(b) Crossing. When aircraft, or an aircraft and a vessel, are on crossing courses, the aircraft or vessel to the other's right has the right-of-way.

(c) Approaching head-on. When aircraft, or an aircraft and a vessel, are approaching head-on, or nearly so, each shall alter its course to the right to keep well clear.

(d) Overtaking. Each aircraft or vessel that is being overtaken has the right-of-way, and the one overtaking shall alter course to keep well clear.

(e) Special circumstances. When aircraft, or an aircraft and a vessel, approach so as to involve risk of collision, each aircraft or vessel shall proceed with careful regard to existing circumstances, including the limitations of the respective craft.

The fact the plane was violating the rules for the area repeatedly caused the CG to say no to prosecution means what to you? There are a ton of other parts to the situation. Why did they accept the pilots claim to not knowing anything? There had been many confrontations...

You guys did watch the video , right? This had nothing v to do with “Right of Way”. The Sea Hag was obviously harassing the folks in the plane. Only the most obtuse would suggest otherwise.

Because the video gives the entire story of the conflict?

And we know the krazy broad on the boat had filed a float plan to spin brodies in the harbor !

So address the conflict in court. As she told me one time when I was docked at the Saltry “my sister is an attorney!”

WFD

Of course not. It appears that the conflict is an ongoing thing. How would that excuse the boat spinning circles around the moving plane?

This is an old grudge match. The pilot is an asswhole and was pushing the confrontation from day one. For him to claim he knew nothing is an obvious lie. That alone when presented to the judge, coupled with the fact the CG and FAA refused to intervene, should result in a no standing order.

The “ongoing thing” aside, I’m going to guess that there was something prior to the video starting.

But, I’m guessing.

Very likely true. Things like this usually have a backstory. But unless he did a strafing run or dropped napalm, the video is hard to explain.

She got indicted on federal charges

Troopers refused to do anything. CG refused to do anything. FAA refused to do anything.

Currently have virtually no respect for the Federal Government... I hope she walks. And I do not like her and despised Clem.