Pedestrians will walk by the United States Capitol in Washington on March 15, 2022.
Emily Elconin | Reuters
The U.S. Capitol temporarily evacuated Wednesday night after police identified an aircraft that said it was “potentially threatening,” but the plane actually carried members of the U.S. Army Golden Knights. rice field.
A warning from the US Capitol police sent Congress officials fleeing the Capitol and the legislature around 6:30 pm.
The incident has been astonishing between the military and Parliamentary police due to an attack on the building by then-President Donald Trump’s supporters, as Washington has focused on improving security since January 6, 2021. Suggested a communication failure.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi accused the Federal Aviation Administration in a statement Wednesday night, saying, “It’s exorbitant not to notify Parliamentary police about the pre-planned Flyover Nationals Stadium.” Stated. FAA did not respond to the request for comment.
Capitol after hundreds of pro-Trump riots passed overwhelmed police officers, broke through windows and doors, and plundered the Capitol when Congress voted to prove Joe Biden’s election victory. Many people working at Hill have been on the edge for over a year.
In the case on Wednesday, a twin-engine aircraft took off from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland and was orbiting in tightly restricted airspace near the Capitol when an alert was sent. Radar tracking data show that the plane, de Havilland Twin Otter, is always away from the banned airspace of the Capitol and other government complexes. Air traffic control records capture military aircraft coordinating flight with the control tower at nearby Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Investigators were still working to determine why the event wasn’t properly coordinated with Washington’s law enforcement authorities, two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. As the plane circled overhead, several federal agencies began scrambling officials.
The metropolitan area is protected by several surface-to-air missile sites and military crew members on alert 24 hours a day. None of these systems seemed to be scrambled.
Authorities believed that, based on preliminary review, pilots may not have properly reported takeoff or had adequate clearance, people said. They were not allowed to discuss this issue publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
“Parliament will review the results of a thorough ex-post review to determine exactly what went wrong today and who of the Federal Aviation Administration will be held liable for this exorbitant and horrific mistake,” Pelosi said. I’m looking forward to it. “
The plane landed at Andrews at around 6:50 pm after the paratroopers landed in the middle of the field in the national park. The stadium, home of the Washington Nationals baseball team, is just over a mile from the US Capitol.
One of the witnesses to the turmoil at the Capitol was Eireann Dolan, wife of Nationals pitcher Sean Doolittle. “I was walking my dog past the Dirksen Senate office building,” Dolan tweeted. “People started to flow out all at once. They turned to me and told me to run away as soon as possible. Some people were calm, but many really panicked. I was. think.”
Parliament building reopened after 8 pm
