Man accused of shooting at historic airplane pleads guilty | News

HAYDEN, AL (WBRC)- A Hayden man accused of shooting at a historic plane at a Blount County airport pleaded guilty today in federal court to interfering with the plane's flight.

The suspect, Jason Allen McCay, 36, is charged with allegedly firing shots at a renovated 1943 Boeing Stearman Bi-Plane during a test flight at Campbell Field. The plane was being flown by an 81-year-old man named Fred Campbell, who built and operates the landing strip.

McCay was allegedly involved in a feud with Campbell over planes flying over his house, which is directly across the street from the private airport.

The indictment says McCay "willfully attempted to interfere with the authorized operation of an aircraft" flying in the U.S. and that "he did so with reckless disregard for the safety of human life," according to U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance.

Court documents say that the plane was about 75 feet high in the air and about 300 feet from touching down when McCay fired shots at it. Vance says he told investigators he fired shots at teh plane because "he wanted to scare the people on board it."

Thursday, McCay pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to interfere with the
authorized operation of an aircraft flying in the United States, according to a release from Vance's office.

FBI agents and members of the Blount County Sheriff's Department arrested McCay on July 19. The alleged shooting happened almost a month earlier, on June 22.

The FBI and Department of Homeland Security investigated the case.

McCay's sentending is set for January 10, 2013. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

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