Cessna flies over white house, TFR

[vja217]

pasted from: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...20620/ap_on_go_pr_wh/white_house_evacuation_6

Anyone heard any more about this? If it's a rental 172 from Richmond, I've probably flown it


White House Briefly Evacuated
Wed Jun 19, 9:09 PM ET

WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House was briefly evacuated Wednesday night after a small plane failed to make radio contact with Reagan National Airport as it flew over the capital, officials said.

An F-16 military jet was scrambled and tracked the plane until it landed at the airport in Richmond, Va., law-enforcement and aviation officials said.

The evacuation was ordered 20 minutes after President Bush ( news - web sites) returned to the building from a Republican fund-raising event at the Washington Convention Center.

Bush remained in the White House throughout the evacuation, a senior administration official said.

Law enforcement officials said a Cessna plane was flying southwest in restricted airspace over the capital and failed to make radio contact with the control towers at Reagan National Airport. The plane then changed direction, prompting the Secret Service ( news - web sites) to end the evacuation.

In response, at least one F-16 was scrambled and tracked the plane until it landed, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Within 15 minutes of the evacuation, staff was allowed to return to the building.

It was the first evacuation of the White House since Sept. 11, when the building was thought to be a target of one of the hijacked jetliners used in the attack on New York and Washington.

The evacuation occurred just hours after a separate incident in which the nearby Federal Reserve ( news - web sites) building was evacuated because of a suspicious package, which turned out to be harmless.

 

[tarp]

Just what General Aviation doesn't need!

All over the news this morning especially in the Wash, DC area. All the same stuff about how "easy" it is for terrorist types to steal our planes and use them as weapons.

This morning the news was that he was "lost" and avoiding weather. Well, it so happens that I was flying my own bug smasher in the DC area yesterday. I am familiar with our class "B" airspace. I also get weather briefings even for my "local" flight.

This guy was from Boston (so I'm going to assume he knows something about Class "B"). The weather had a weak, almost "gust" front passing through the area. It created the normal DC area airmass T-storms which are widely scattered at this time of the year. All the T-storms were over in the area by 12:00 noon and the afternoon stayed as a hazy, DC day.

Now here's my beef with the guy. Even our lousy TV reporters got the part that he was at 10,500 feet in his C-182.

Ten - five just tops the DC area Class "B" which goes up to 10K even. So he was 500feet above the Bravo in a C-182. Well, my normal job is not flying my bug smasher, but flying a jet. I hate thinking about some idiot playing the "hey I'll just fly over this congested airspace" game. It's a C-182. Top speed 145mph. Climb rate = about 350fpm all the way up to 12, 500 when you either run out of airplane or oxygen. So, for all you newbies out there - let's just think about the class "B". You've got jets just breaking out of 10,000 and putting the coals on our beautiful Pratts, GE's and RR engines. I'm looking to accelerate from 250kts to 300 in a heartbeat. I just came out of the top of the Class B like a Cobra out of a jar. Do you really think I want basically a floating piece of aluminum floatsam (a slow moving GA target) sitting in my acceleration zone? NOT. Yes, it's going to cost you 15 minutes to go around the sides of the Bravo - do it!

Then, a guy from Boston. BOSTON. Did he not see the news? How could a pilot from Boston not know about all the TFR's that were created post 9/11? Has he been in a box for six months? I can't get through a single Boston security portal without taking off everything but my pants due to the fact that Boston was one of the gateway cities for 9/11. How can this guy not know about TFR's?

I really can't stand this stuff. Lost? He's at 10,500 ft. With a huge bay (the Chesapeake) off his left wing. A huge city below with this amazing rectangle of green with sparkling white buildings right in the middle (I'm talking here about the Washington Mall where the White House, Capital, and all those government buildings stand out like a sore thumb. I can't think of a single city that has this landmark - cruising at FL270, I can look out my window and see the mall distinctly.

Dodging T-storms? Really? In a C-182? I have to keep my jet 20 miles from the storms. What are you doing near the service ceiling of an airplane trying to dodge t-storms? He was trapped with 2,500 ft of manuevering space horizontally. Can't go below 10,000 and can't really climb. What was he going to do as an "out" if another t-storm popped up? When did he make his decision that he was going to move a little west to avoid weather?

I'm just mad when I see this kind of behavior. This is the one scenario when I'm glad he's going to spend all day talking to the military, the secret service and the FAA. This pilot's license is a privledge, not a "right". Don't abuse it.

Sorry - rant over.

 

[cvsfly]

Stuff like this will be the death nell of general aviation. People like this think they have right to go anywhere they want and if they screw up its their butt. Well it isn't. The s*** rolls downward and effects us all eventually. When we can we should police our own, before someone else does it. The major burden is on CFIs. There are no excuses for this. His license should be revoked and he should face jail time or at the very least get a bill from the AF/ANG for the scrable of the F-16s.

 

[aggiepilot87]

Just what General Aviation doesn't need!

Agreed - it looks bad.

Ten - five just tops the DC area Class "B" which goes up to 10K even. So he was 500feet above the Bravo in a C-182. Well, my normal job is not flying my bug smasher, but flying a jet. I hate thinking about some idiot playing the "hey I'll just fly over this congested airspace" game. It's a C-182. Top speed 145mph. Climb rate = about 350fpm all the way up to 12, 500 when you either run out of airplane or oxygen. So, for all you newbies out there - let's just think about the class "B". You've got jets just breaking out of 10,000 and putting the coals on our beautiful Pratts, GE's and RR engines. I'm looking to accelerate from 250kts to 300 in a heartbeat. I just came out of the top of the Class B like a Cobra out of a jar. Do you really think I want basically a floating piece of aluminum floatsam (a slow moving GA target) sitting in my acceleration zone? NOT. Yes, it's going to cost you 15 minutes to go around the sides of the Bravo - do it!

Spoken like a true airline pilot! The rules allow VFR flight over the Class B with a mode C xponder. It's not gray. If someone chooses to overfly the Cl B, deal with it. Make sure your TCAS is working and look out. how many high altitude mid-airs have happened between civillian planes? none (~>10,000') that I'm aware of. Is this that great of a risk?

How can this guy not know about TFR's?

Agreed. Punnish violators severely.

Dodging T-storms? Really? In a C-182? I have to keep my jet 20 miles from the storms. What are you doing near the service ceiling of an airplane trying to dodge t-storms? He was trapped with 2,500 ft of manuevering space horizontally. Can't go below 10,000 and can't really climb. What was he going to do as an "out" if another t-storm popped up? When did he make his decision that he was going to move a little west to avoid weather?

the guy obviously made a major stupid decision stumbling through the airspace. But best I can tell, a C-182A-D is good to 19,800' abs ceiling. -182Q abs clg is 14,900'. That'd give it at least 12-13,000' svc ceiling. His decision to overfly the Cl B doesn't sound too bad to me.

This pilot's license is a privledge, not a "right". Don't abuse it.

Agreed that people need to think cleary and must be responsible for their actions. But your point above about flying being a privledge is something that is perpetuated in the minds of people who allow the government to ignore the Constitution. Something can be a right and still subject to reasonable controls and limitations (can't holler fire in a crowded theater). The word choice and people's perspective matters, IMO.

enjoy your flight!

 

[Flint]

I heard on the news this morning, "No charges will be filed". That is amazing. You bust a restricted zone, not to mention one of the most important zones, and you walk...

Hell, the FAA comes after me because I checked the wrong box on a medical form by accident. It took weeks to clear that one up. Really sad

 

[DC9stick]

It said no charges would be filed, I would take that to mean criminal charges, it doe's not mean that the FAA will not take administrative action, such as suspension or revocation of his pilot certificate. The FAA has taken a hard line on this issue and has recomended that inspectors go for the maximum penalty authorized.

 

[TWA Dude]

I hate thinking about some idiot playing the "hey I'll just fly over this congested airspace" game. ... Do you really think I want basically a floating piece of aluminum floatsam (a slow moving GA target) sitting in my acceleration zone? NOT. Yes, it's going to cost you 15 minutes to go around the sides of the Bravo - do it!

Class B airspace exists to keep the little guys away from the big guys. So now we should block off all the space around that airspace to protect bugsmashers from you? Just let it be. The sky's big enough for all of us.

 

[Timebuilder]

I don't know about you, but I'm out of that area of DC class B long before I reach 10k feet. I'm popping out the side of that airspace, leaving this bozo behind to face the attack helicopters.

I was in the P/H flight planning room at IAD yesterday, waiting for that storm cell to decide to leave TEB. The Gulfsteam captain behind me was on the phone to the tower, asking him if this little military exercise was going to affect his ability to get out of Dulles. From what I could gather, the tower guy hadn't heard about this situation, or at least he wasn't letting on that he knew. The only delay I experienced was an hour in the rwy 30 runup block because of delays into Newark.

From what I understand, the Cessna was in the expanded, "TFR" area, and not the traditional prohibited area. He wasn't really "over the Capital". Still, we need to be very vigilant about these issues, becuase they will affect flying for years to come.

 

[capt_zman]

Timebuilder,

Did you make it into TEB yesterday? I blasted off around 5:30 in the middle of sh!t. What FBO do you go to?

 

[dlwdracos]

Now here's my beef with the guy. Even our lousy TV reporters got the part that he was at 10,500 feet in his C-182.

So, for all you newbies out there - let's just think about the class "B". You've got jets just breaking out of 10,000 and putting the coals on our beautiful Pratts, GE's and RR engines. I'm looking to accelerate from 250kts to 300 in a heartbeat. [/QUOTE


Tarp you are an A$$. What do you think, you own the sky? Get over yourself.