Three charged for lying in Patrick Swayze emergency landing

Tuesday, June 13th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

PHOENIX (AP) -- Three men were charged with lying Tuesday for allegedly failing to tell police that they helped Patrick Swayze remove beer and wine from his plane before driving him to a hotel after he made an emergency landing.

Swayze's publicist, Annett Wolf in Los Angeles, denied there was alcohol on the plane. "It's unfortunate that there were people
there who felt the need to say what they said," Wolf said.

After the actor landed his 1978 twin-engine Cessna 414A on June 1, police were unable to question him for 12 hours, when he returned messages left on his cell phone. The National
Transportation Safety Board had instructed police to get a toxicology report from Swayze, according to the police report.

The actor was unhurt when he landed on a road where a subdivision is to be built in Prescott Valley, about 90 miles north of Phoenix. He hit a light pole, tearing off part of a wing.

The three men, charged with giving false information, said they helped the actor remove a half-empty 30-pack of beer and a
near-empty bottle of wine from the plane before bringing him to a hotel, police said.

Brian Nelson, Adam Martin and Joshua Angel face the misdemeanor charge for initially telling police they didn't witness the incident. The three didn't return phone calls seeking comment. All were cited and released.

Police spokesman Sgt. P.J. Janik said there isn't enough evidence to charge Swayze. Wolf said Swayze contacted the Federal Aviation Administration after landing.

Swayze told the FAA he was forced to land because of pressurization problems.

Bob Crispin, an investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board, confirmed that investigators found a fault in the
pressurization system that would cause symptoms, such as a loud noise, similar to what Swayze described.

Crispin said investigators found no evidence of alcohol in Swayze's plane.

Swayze, 47, has starred in movies including "Ghost," a hit with Demi Moore, and "Dirty Dancing," the 1987 movie that helped launch his career.