Tommy Lee's Chopper Pilot Charged

Posted Jul 31st 2006 4:49PM by TMZ Staff

Tommy Lee must really hate traffic: The pilot of a helicopter that Lee had ferry him from his Hollywood Hills home to a concert in Irvine, Calif. was charged today by the Los Angeles City Attorney with landing an aircraft on a public road, and two other charges besides.

On July 7, the Air Support Division of the Los Angeles Police Department responded to reports of a helicopter hovering above a residence in the Hollywood Hills. The officers tried to contact the helicopter pilot David Keith Martz, 49, but the helicopter landed on a public street and the pilot entered a residence. Mötley Crüe drummer Lee was seen coming out with two other passengers and the aircraft departed to the southeast to take them to the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Irvine, where Nine Inch Nails were performing, and returned two hours later.

LA City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo charged Martz with one count of reckless operation of an aircraft, one count of landing an aircraft on a public road, and one count of landing an aircraft without a permit. It is illegal in California to land a helicopter on the street. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail and/or a $1000 fine.

This isn't the first time Lee has been associated with chopper trouble: In 2004, when Mötley Crüe resurrected the band for a concert at the Hollywood Palladium, they wanted to arrive in a helicopter but, according to Lee, the fire marshall balked -- so they showed up in a hearse instead.

Filed under: Break-Ups


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1. Who edits this crap? It's spelled "road" not "raod".

Posted at 5:51PM on Jul 31st 2006 by Jonathan (949) 525-7520

2. TOMMY LEE is an IDIOT. He should know better and so should the pilot. This guy has the I.Q. of a plant. Maybe he knew and just didn't give a shit. Like people who drive with one person in the diamond lane. They know the fine is $400.00 but they don't give a damn. They are in a HURRY and they just want to get there. So they take the risk of getting caught. . That was a dangerous move. There's reason's why helicopters and planes have restrictions. DAHHH !! Someone could have gotton hurt. He's a JERK ! If his business sense is as bad as his COMMON SENSE he should start saving his $$$. And stop spending it on Helicopter rides to concerts.

Posted at 5:59PM on Jul 31st 2006 by WHAT A DUMMY

3. This is for comment # 1 Jonathan: I hate when people come on this website and start commenting on people's spelling and gramatical errors. IF YOU WANT TO LOOK FOR MISTYPES AND CLERICAL ERRORS . BE A SCHOOL TEACHER. This is a place for people to post their opions NOT GET GRADED or have attention brought to them for a mistyped or mispelled word. PLEASE STICK TO SUBJECT. GEEEEZZZ !!!!

Posted at 6:07PM on Jul 31st 2006 by u must b a frustrated teacher

4. Tommy Lee is an '80's has been. He would not even be in the spotlight like he is today if he hadn't married Pam Anderson. The guy has saw dust in his brain. Helicoptors have restrictions for safety reasons. He was willing to risk the lives of innocent people as long as he got to were he wanted to go? People like this should not breed.

Posted at 6:30PM on Jul 31st 2006 by Bored at work

5. this is the spelling cop. you are all under arrest. This site is for comments about the news not about spelling and ribbing other people. You all need to get a grip.

Posted at 6:33PM on Jul 31st 2006 by spelling cop

6. #3...I'm sorry that in your little world it's ok to be illiterate. And people wonder why our youth is going down hill. The rules of proper grammar aren't even INFORCED. Had #1 commented on someone's POSTED grammatical or spelling errors then I could understand, but since the error was in the article itself, there's no excuse! Anyone who's trying to be taken seriously or make a valid point should at least have the decency to spell things properly!!! I didn't realize it had become a problem to be educated and expect others to be as well, especially when it's for an article. Do you see TONS of errors in the newspaper? Didn't think so...

Posted at 6:50PM on Jul 31st 2006 by PXZ

7. Bravo! Well said number 5! Tommy Lee must be number 3!

Posted at 6:55PM on Jul 31st 2006 by Sam

8. actually, it should be "ENFORCED" not "INFORCED" . . . silly grammmmmar cop.

Posted at 10:15PM on Jul 31st 2006 by brtt

9. Hey, All you Tommy haters, your just jealous you don't have a helicopter to haul all your lame asses around. If I had the means to get out waiting in traffic I would. I'd give Tommy a lift and we would go visit Dr. Feelgood. Next stop would be girls, girls, girls! Rock on, Tommy. The Crue, Rules!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted at 12:03AM on Aug 1st 2006 by Jack

10. Wouldn't Tommy Lee and Angelina Jolie make a great couple ???

Posted at 12:32AM on Aug 1st 2006 by tamela

11. Hmm coincedence...? the same week that his ex gets hitched?

Posted at 2:06AM on Aug 1st 2006 by JM Lamb

12. It is really pretty bad how blatant a disregard for the law this shows! I don't think it merits jail time but I hope they fine them out the ying-yang,and maybe if they were to suspend his license for a while that would help him to think twice before thinking he's so above the laws next time?! What an ass.

Posted at 7:22AM on Aug 1st 2006 by Selena Pierce

13. The pilot has to take the lion's share on this one, folks. Perhaps there was pressure from Mr. Lee (I use the term "Mister" loosely) to pick him up in the street, but as a commercial pilot, he would alrady know there are strick regulations governing landing on roadways. He could lose his license for such irresponsible
acts.

Posted at 10:23AM on Aug 1st 2006 by Dorcey Wingo

14. Everybody's focusing on Tommy, but what about the pilot. That idiot has a commercial class license....well he HAD one anyway. As a pilot myself, I can say that without a doubt, that guy has (or will any day now) have his license revoked. Illegal landings in non-populated areas result in a suspension of a license for a minimum of 1 year. Doing such a landing on a public road is definitly a populated area. Post 9/11, those pilots have never seen their licenses again. I sure hope he was paid well for this stunt because it will be his last.

Posted at 2:45PM on Aug 1st 2006 by Mitch

15. Your high on crack this guy wont lose his license, he will get fined.

He wont even have his license suspended..IF it was in fact going to be made into a big deal the FBI would have been there to greet the pilot as he landed back at his home field. I have seen this happen more than once, I have also seen the pilot explain, and the FBI go off on their merry way. I'm betting that is what happened here. I'm sure the pilot knew what to expect before doing any of this, and I am also sure he wasn't about to risk his livelihood all together.

I like the way people act as if the street Tommy lives on is Mid-Melrose at noon on Saturday. All the lives endangered etc etc. Drama queens all of you.

As for the poster who called Tommy an 80's has been, guess you missed all the SOLD OUT Motley Crue dates over the last 1.5 years?? While you waited on your precious Ashlee Simpson tickets??


BlackMetal

Posted at 4:10PM on Aug 1st 2006 by BlackMetal

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