Restaurant owner indicted for steering boat toward plane in Alaska

The owner of a restaurant in Halibut Cove, Alaska has been indicted on federal charges for driving her boat into an aircraft knowingly.

On Aug. 23, 2022, in a small community across from Kachemak Bay from Homer, a video showed Marion Tillion Beck’s boat making passes extremely close to a de Havilland Beaver DHC-2 on the water. Beck owns The Saltry Restaurant on the cove

Anchorage Daily News reported that the pilot, Eric Lee, who owns Alaska Ultimate Safaris, told them he was initially confused when the boat began making passes and it then appeared to be headed straight toward him. Lee had flown a tour group that day and was taxiing back to the bay when Beck’s boat began making close passes at the plane.

The indictment state listed two counts against Beck. The first count, attempted destruction of aircraft, stated that she knowingly and willingly attempted to interfere with Lee, with a reckless disregard for safety and human life. The second count, gross negligent operation of a vessel, said that beck operated a vessel in a grossly negligent manner that endangered the “life, limb or property of a person.”

After the initial incident, a video went viral showing the scene, with Beck’s boat passing Lee’s plane numerous times on the water. The U.S. Coast Guard Alaska made a post on Facebook, stating multiple reports of a vessel interfering with a floatplane were received. They said that safety was a top priority and the incident was being investigated.

The Anchorage Daily News said that Lee had seven passengers on the boat, two of whom he was picking up in Halibut Cove that morning. It was reported that Lee was worried about a possible evacuation if the boat struck the plane and had the passengers wear flotation devices in case of a crash.

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