by 
International Desk : In an astonishing episode from New York’s history, Thomas Fitzpatrick, a gas pipe fitter, stole a single-engine plane while intoxicated and landed it on a narrow New York City street. On the night of September 30, 1956, Fitzpatrick, fueled by a barroom bet that he could travel from New Jersey to New York City in 15 minutes, sneaked into Teterboro Airport, evaded security, and flew a plane to a precise landing on a city street, navigating in near darkness without radio or lights.
The next morning, stunned residents awoke to find a small plane parked between cars and lampposts, sparking citywide commotion. The New York Times praised Fitzpatrick’s skillful landing. Although arrested for theft and violating traffic regulations, he escaped with a $100 fine after the plane’s owner dropped the charges.
Two years later, in 1958, Fitzpatrick repeated the stunt. Spurred by another barroom challenge doubting his earlier feat, he stole another plane from Teterboro and landed near Amsterdam Avenue and 187th Street. This time, a judge sentenced him to six months in jail, noting that proper punishment the first time might have prevented the repeat. Fitzpatrick admitted, “When I drink, these things happen.”
A non-professional pilot who learned to fly as a hobby, Fitzpatrick had also joined the Korean War at age 15 by falsifying his age, earning a Purple Heart after being wounded. His audacious exploits live on in New York lore, commemorated by a drink called the “Late Night Flight.”
AI/MR
