Catherine Rusoff
A pilot was hit with multiple citations for landing his helicopter at a protected bird nesting site in central Florida, authorities said. Video of the illegal landing shows a mass of birds fleeing the area as the helicopter suddenly descends into a part of an island refuge that bans visitors.
The pilot, identified as 53-year-old Ernesto Cordero of Bradenton, told wildlife officials that concerns about a possible mid-air fuel leak led him to land in Edgmont Key State Park, a remote island near Tampa Bay that is only accessible to visitors by boat. Cordero’s helicopter left Albert Whitted Airport in St. Petersburg on the afternoon of May 12 and landed briefly at the south end of Edgmont Key before flying again and ending the trip in Punta Gorda, according to an incident report from the Florida Fish and Commission. of Wildlife Conservation.
Although Cordero claimed he landed the helicopter because he believed he could smell fuel, possibly indicating a leak, the pilot did not report any emergency to air traffic control, the document states. A witness who reported the incident to wildlife authorities — and recorded video of the incident — told the conservation commission that a woman briefly exited the helicopter as it landed on the protected beach south of Edgmont Key. The woman appeared to take photos before to return to the helicopter, at which point it left the area, said the witness, according to the police report. Cordero acknowledged that a woman exited the helicopter while he was assessing the fuel situation from inside the cabin.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
The helicopter landing caused “numerous protected species of shorebirds to flee their nests,” Lt. Michael Bibeau of Florida Fish and Wildlife wrote in that report. Bibeau said he was able to identify some of these birds as black skimmers and sandwich terns. The refuge in the southern part of Edgmont Key is a protected nesting area for these birds and others, including ospreys, brown pelicans, white ibises, royal terns, American oystercatchers and laughing gulls. It is completely closed to the public.
Florida Fish and Wildlife cited Cordero for interfering with threatened and endangered species, a law that prohibits people from harassing, hunting, capturing or otherwise harming any creature protected by that distinction. The agency also issued citations for landing an aircraft in a state park and entering a closed area, according to the police report.
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