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View Full Version : Cessna 150 causes panic in DC


Max Power
5-11-05, 3:24 PM
OK I love this quote ""Run, this is no joke, leave the grounds," a Secret Service agent told CNN's Suzanne Malveaux."

or

""They said, 'Get out of here.' So I ran. There's no joking about this kind of stuff," Shelby said."

Seriously a Cessna 150 is like the size of a Volkswagen... you could side step it!

But I guess it could have nuclear bomb in it like TV

RUN!!!
=]

Two held after White House, Capitol evacuation
Small plane forced to land after it enters restricted air space



WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Two people were taken into custody Wednesday after their plane violated restricted air space over Washington and prompted evacuations of the White House, the Capitol and the Supreme Court, officials said.

A handcuffed man, wearing shorts and a short-sleeve shirt was seen being led into a police car after fighter jets forced a the plane to land on the runway of an airport in Frederick, Maryland.

President Bush was not at the White House during the incident and Vice President Dick Cheney was moved to a secure location for a brief time, said White House spokesman Scott McClellan.

The plane flew within three miles of the White House, prompting officials to raise the color-coded terror alert for a few minutes, McClellan.

F-16 jets and a Black Hawk helicopter intercepted the Cessna. The Cessna 150 is registered to the Vintage Aero Club in Smoketown, Pennsylvania, according to Federal Aviation Administration records.

"The plane was taken from an airport in Smoketown, Pennsylvania," said Capitol Police Chief Terry Gainer.

Two people were taken into custody, he said. "They were not authorized to take the plane from the airport -- but in fact did."

About noon, journalists and employees streamed out of the White House as authorities ordered the evacuation. "Run, this is no joke, leave the grounds," a Secret Service agent told CNN's Suzanne Malveaux.

At the Capitol, Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Alabama, told The Associated Press he was on the Senate floor when police told him to evacuate. "They said, 'Get out of here.' So I ran. There's no joking about this kind of stuff," Shelby said.

On the House floor, Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio, said, "There was so much commotion in the gallery," AP reported. "People were yelling in the gallery. We thought something had happened in the gallery, and then the alarm came to evacuate."

Across the street from the Capitol, at least four justices inside the U.S. Supreme Court were evacuated along with other staff.

Former CNN anchor Bernard Shaw, who lives in the area, said he saw two F-16 jets circle a single-engine plane and fire warning flares. The F-16s then appeared to direct the small aircraft away from the downtown area, Shaw said.

At the White House, a motorcade of six or seven cars departed the grounds during the evacuation. The motorcade then returned about 15 minutes later.

At the time of the incident, Bush was on a bike ride with a security detail in Maryland, officials said.

a4l
5-11-05, 3:39 PM
A fully armed Cessna, what next. :conspire: :laughing:

J.R.
5-11-05, 8:57 PM
Two F-16 jets ready to shoot it down? A paintball gun could have done the job.

Mel
5-11-05, 9:19 PM
If you fly into "restricted air space over Washington" unauthorized... I don't care if you're flying in a paper airplane, you should expect to be diverted, if not blown out of the sky. Based on recent history, what's hard to understand about that? If you're flying around the sky and not cognizant of the ramifications of where you fly... then you should not be allowed to fly.

Canadian26
5-11-05, 9:30 PM
I agree with Matt. With all thats happened, Im suprised they didnt shoot it out of the sky... you never know these days before 9/11 who woulda thought an attack like that was even possible... All it taught security is to be ready for anything.

slapshot™
5-12-05, 12:20 AM
Seriously a Cessna 150 is like the size of a Volkswagen... you could side step it!

I understand the legroom in a Cessna 150 leaves a little to be desired.....

http://www.aero-sports.com/whplans/cessna150.jpg

leaferfan87
5-12-05, 3:17 PM
I understand the legroom in a Cessna 150 leaves a little to be desired.....

http://www.aero-sports.com/whplans/cessna150.jpg

My knees cringe just staring at that thing!

a4l
5-12-05, 7:01 PM
They are great planes but shouldn't be confused with WMD.

J.R.
5-12-05, 7:12 PM
They are great planes but shouldn't be confused with WMD.The golf ball that is sitting on my desk would be considered a weapon of mass destruction if I tried to enter the United States with it.

a4l
5-12-05, 7:22 PM
The golf ball that is sitting on my desk would be considered a weapon of mass destruction if I tried to enter the United States with it.


Only if you are related to Gerald Ford. ;) :laughing:

Mel
5-12-05, 8:39 PM
They are great planes but shouldn't be confused with WMD.

The offending aircraft does not have to be WMD. A remote control airplane packed with the correct chemicals and high end explosives could level the White House, or worse.

When any unauthorized aircraft flies into prohibited air space over Washington, it must be taken seriously. Again I don't care how small. If they shot these 2 idiots out of the sky and killed them, I wouldn't lose a minute's sleep over it. In fact it would probably make me feel better.

Max Power
5-13-05, 10:26 AM
The offending aircraft does not have to be WMD. A remote control airplane packed with the correct chemicals and high end explosives could level the White House, or worse.

When any unauthorized aircraft flies into prohibited air space over Washington, it must be taken seriously. Again I don't care how small. If they shot these 2 idiots out of the sky and killed them, I wouldn't lose a minute's sleep over it. In fact it would probably make me feel better.

I understand your point Matt but to me this is just more fear tactics by the media and/or government to keep the American people on their toes. A C150 has a range of about 400 miles. That would mean that the AC was from the US and that would also mean that any chemical or biological weapon was already in the US. The dumbest way to get that weapon into DC would be by plane when you could easily drive right up to any building.

My only point with this topic was how the media will take anything and dramatize it for the sake of entertainment and to keep the public watching when in reality this was not much of a threat

Mel
5-13-05, 10:47 AM
A C150 has a range of about 400 miles. That would mean that the AC was from the US and that would also mean that any chemical or biological weapon was already in the US. The dumbest way to get that weapon into DC would be by plane when you could easily drive right up to any building.
Sure, it's coming from within the US. That doesn't have any bearing on the potential hazard. Terrorisits tried the drive method on the first WTC attempt and failed. They found the use of planes to be much more effective on their second attempt 8 years later. If it's a suicide mission anyway, you can do more damage, and get closer to your target through the air.

My only point with this topic was how the media will take anything and dramatize it for the sake of entertainment and to keep the public watching when in reality this was not much of a threat
I hate the media. They blow everything out of proportion. But I don't think the security forces in Washington over-reacted. I think they did the right thing. Better to error on the side of caution.

Rusty
5-13-05, 12:55 PM
In todays world you cannot take something like this too lightly, yes it was only an old Cessna, but what would have happened if he had 400lbs of Sarin or some other gnarly chemical or explosive on board.

I find it funny that they scrambled F16's to intercept it, the Blackhawks would have been sufficient imho. The low speed of the Cessna must have been hard to escort this thing seeing as a F16 need a wee bit more Air speed to stay in the air. F-18's would have been a better decsion.