Man to Be Tried on Flight Path Charge

A judge refused to dismiss a misdemeanor criminal charge Wednesday against a 72-year-old recluse who tried to keep noisy airplanes away from his Antelope Valley home by using a mirror to flash sunlight into the eyes of pilots landing at a nearby airport.

Antelope Municipal Judge Frank Jackson instead set a July 21 trial date for Alcide J. Chaisson of Llano, who remains free on his own recognizance. Chaisson’s attorney argued that the state Public Utilities Code section that his client is accused of violating applies only to actions taken in the air, not on the ground. The judge disagreed and said Chaisson should be tried on a charge of obstructing a flight path.

Richard Knickerbocker, a former Santa Monica city attorney, said he will appeal Jackson’s ruling. Chaisson, convicted of the same offense in April, 1990, also involving Crystalaire Airport, faces up to a year in jail if convicted.