DC evacuation du jour

[Gary Drescher]

AP, 29 June 2005: "Police briefly ordered evacuation of the U.S. Capitol and
the White House and President Bush was moved from his residence to a safer
location Wednesday evening when a private plane ventured into restricted
airspace."

[Kev]

> Police briefly ordered evacuation of the U.S. Capitol and
> the White House

Wonderful, nothing like sending thousands of potential victims into
plain sight.

When will they figure out that, in the case of a fairly small plane,
people would generally be much safer inside those stone buildings?

Grrr.

[George Patterson]

Gary Drescher wrote:
> AP, 29 June 2005: "Police briefly ordered evacuation of the U.S. Capitol and
> the White House and President Bush was moved from his residence to a safer
> location Wednesday evening when a private plane ventured into restricted
> airspace."

Wed Jun 29, 8:38 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A private plane strayed into restricted airspace over
Washington on Wednesday evening, prompting security agents to move
President Bush to a safer location and causing the evacuation of the U.S.
Capitol, officials said.

Spokesman Scott McClellan said Bush was in the White House residence and was
"temporarily relocated" without incident. The House and Senate, both of which
were in session, were also briefly evacuated.

It was the second time in less than two months that a security scare involving a
private plane prompted authorities to evacuate the Capitol complex and take
extraordinary security precautions at the White House. Bush was not at the
executive mansion during the May 11 incident.

Wednesday's incident ended within several minutes after the plane, described as
a Beechcraft King Air 300, was intercepted by military and homeland security
aircraft about eight miles from the capital.

The twin-engine turboprop was heading to Defiance, Ohio, from Wilmington,
Delaware, and was turning away from Washington when confronted, officials said.

Aviation and homeland security officials said it appeared the wayward aircraft
strayed into restricted airspace around 6:30 p.m. EDT to avoid bad weather. The
plane was traveling at roughly 200 knots.

At the White House, the security alert was raised to red but was lowered to
yellow within minutes, McClellan said.

Bush was moved from the residence to an undisclosed location, McClellan said.
During the last alert first lady
Laura Bush was moved to a secure location within the White House complex.

Homeland Security Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said the plane was
directed to land at an airport in Winchester, Virginia, where it would be met by
law enforcement authorities.

At the Capitol, police sent an e-mail message to senators saying they were
tracking an unidentified aircraft. "All persons in the U.S. Capitol, Hart,
Dirksen and Russell buildings should evacuate now," the alert said.

The Senate was voting on an amendment to an appropriations measure act and the
House of Representatives was in the middle of a vote on transportation funding
when the evacuation order was issued.

The Senate resumed its vote as soon as members were allowed back in the chamber.
The House also resumed its work without further incident.

Tight security precautions have been in effect around the U.S. capital since the
Sept. 11 attacks on New York and the
Pentagon building near Washington.

However, aviation officials said the restricted flight zone around the capital
region is violated frequently, almost always inadvertently by private pilots.

George Patterson
Why do men's hearts beat faster, knees get weak, throats become dry,
and they think irrationally when a woman wears leather clothing?
Because she smells like a new truck.

[Bob Noel]

In article . com>,
"Kev" > wrote:

> > Police briefly ordered evacuation of the U.S. Capitol and
> > the White House
>
> Wonderful, nothing like sending thousands of potential victims into
> plain sight.
>
> When will they figure out that, in the case of a fairly small plane,
> people would generally be much safer inside those stone buildings?
>
> Grrr.

oh crap. When will people learn that the risk from a fairly small
plane is so small that they should stop running around like
chicken little. "much safer inside" my foot.

--
Bob Noel
no one likes an educated mule

[Kev]

>> When will they figure out that, in the case of a fairly small
>>plane, people would generally be much safer inside those
>> stone buildings?
>
> oh crap. When will people learn that the risk from a fairly
> small plane is so small that they should stop running around
> like chicken little.

Exactly. However, there's always a minor risk of attack by small
airplane. Thinking otherwise is head-in-the-sand. But the reaction
needs to take the aircraft size into account.

> "much safer inside" my foot.

Officials are still reacting to airplane incursions as if it were 9/11
airliners coming at them. (In that case, yes, evacuate major
buildings!) The point is, for smaller aircraft, there's no need to
cause disruptions, panic, headlines, and lessen safety by running
people into the streets.

The risk of crash or explosive deaths from a small plane is less
inside. In the potential case of CBR weapons, it's also safer being
inside.

[Icebound]

"George Patterson" > wrote in message
news:u7Lwe.15745$bz6.3166@trndny06...
>
> Wed Jun 29, 8:38 PM ET
>
> WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A private plane strayed into restricted
> airspace...snip...
>
....snip...

> However, aviation officials said the restricted flight zone around the
> capital region is violated frequently, almost always inadvertently by
> private pilots.
>


.... *almost* always...???

[Jose]

>>almost always inadvertently by
>> private pilots.
> ... *almost* always...???

One of the cases that came closest to a shoot-down was carrying a public
official on official business. I believe this was a commercial pilot.
Of course, he didn't "stray" into restricted airspace, he was supposed
to be there, and "something went wrong".

Jose
--
You may not get what you pay for, but you sure as hell pay for what you get.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

[Allen]

"George Patterson" > wrote in message
news:u7Lwe.15745$bz6.3166@trndny06...
> Gary Drescher wrote:
>> AP, 29 June 2005: "Police briefly ordered evacuation of the U.S. Capitol
>> and the White House and President Bush was moved from his residence to a
>> safer location Wednesday evening when a private plane ventured into
>> restricted airspace."
>
> Wed Jun 29, 8:38 PM ET
>
> WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A private plane strayed into restricted airspace
> over Washington on Wednesday evening, prompting security agents to move
> President Bush to a safer location and causing the evacuation of the U.S.
> Capitol, officials said.
>
> Spokesman Scott McClellan said Bush was in the White House residence and
> was "temporarily relocated" without incident. The House and Senate, both
> of which were in session, were also briefly evacuated.
>
> It was the second time in less than two months that a security scare
> involving a private plane prompted authorities to evacuate the Capitol
> complex and take extraordinary security precautions at the White House.
> Bush was not at the executive mansion during the May 11 incident.
>
> Wednesday's incident ended within several minutes after the plane,
> described as a Beechcraft King Air 300, was intercepted by military and
> homeland security aircraft about eight miles from the capital.
>
> The twin-engine turboprop was heading to Defiance, Ohio, from Wilmington,
> Delaware, and was turning away from Washington when confronted, officials
> said.
>
> Aviation and homeland security officials said it appeared the wayward
> aircraft strayed into restricted airspace around 6:30 p.m. EDT to avoid
> bad weather. The plane was traveling at roughly 200 knots.
>

I believe a King Air 300 is type certified as a two pilot airplane (although
single-pilot waiver is available) and requires a type rating because of
maximum take-off weight. He was probably on an IFR flight plan to boot.
Somebody set me straight if I am wrong.

Allen

[John T]

Allen wrote:
>
>> Aviation and homeland security officials said it appeared the wayward
>> aircraft strayed into restricted airspace around 6:30 p.m. EDT to
>> avoid bad weather. The plane was traveling at roughly 200 knots.
>
> He was probably on an IFR
> flight plan to boot.

Let's not forget the weather avoidance issue. There were some *nasty*
thunderstorms in the area at the time of the incident.

--
John T
http://tknowlogy.com/TknoFlyer
http://www.pocketgear.com/products_search.asp?developerid=4415
Reduce spam. Use Sender Policy Framework: http://spf.pobox.com
____________________

[Dave Stadt]

"Jose" > wrote in message
m...
> >>almost always inadvertently by
> >> private pilots.
> > ... *almost* always...???
>
> One of the cases that came closest to a shoot-down was carrying a public
> official on official business. I believe this was a commercial pilot.
> Of course, he didn't "stray" into restricted airspace, he was supposed
> to be there, and "something went wrong".

What went wrong is two government agencies failed to communicate with each
other despite the fact procedures to do so had been put into place. .

[Jose]

>>Of course, he didn't "stray" into restricted airspace, he was supposed
>> to be there, and "something went wrong".
>
> What went wrong is two government agencies failed to communicate with each
> other despite the fact procedures to do so had been put into place.

Indeed. But what went wrong wasn't relevant to my point, which was that
when "bad things happen" in the DC ADIZ, it's not always because some
pilot "strayed".

Jose
--
You may not get what you pay for, but you sure as hell pay for what you get.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

[StellaStarr]

Jose wrote:
>>> almost always inadvertently by private pilots.
>>
>> ... *almost* always...???
>
>
> One of the cases that came closest to a shoot-down was carrying a public
> official on official business. I believe this was a commercial pilot.
> Of course, he didn't "stray" into restricted airspace, he was supposed
> to be there, and "something went wrong".
>
> Jose

A chartered flight taking the gov of Kentucky to Reagan's funeral.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35440-2004Jul7.html

[[email protected]]

Another successful sortie by the Union Air Force, Cesna Wing, the dui
convicts should
be retreating deep into the confederacy (TX) shortly.

JG