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Aide: Plane in D.C. Scare Not Off Course
``They (pilots) followed directions from air traffic controllers explicitly,'' Hogan said. ``They did not wander off course. They did not inadvertently enter the air space. They had permission to be there.
``It would appear the air traffic controllers did not notify any of the other agencies about the situation,'' Hogan said.
Groves said Fletcher, a former Air Force fighter pilot, was unaware until he landed of the uproar at the Capitol or that a pair of F-15 fighters had been sent aloft during the incident."
--- I think they have finally gone too far. The FAA knew about this plane, and they are the ones who notify NORAD to send F-15 fighter jets....someone appears to be terrorizing the folks at the Reagon memorial for no apparent reason screaming 'one minute to impact' and 'RUN' at mourners. One woman had to be taken away by ambulance.----
this from another article
"The cause of the uproar, as we later learned: an unidentified aircraft had entered Capitol airspace without authorization"
http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/jun2004/nf20040610_8949_db017.htm
this author also describes the REASON for this
"I was no longer thinking of Reagan. I was thinking of 9/11. As soon as I got outside, the police started to guide us. Then some actually started running with us. Women were throwing their shoes in the grass. I took mine off, heard an officer yell at me to keep going, and I felt the first rock dig into my foot. The moment of true terror for me was seeing a police officer turn around and look toward the sky over the Capitol. Then I ran faster than my legs could carry me. "
``It would appear the air traffic controllers did not notify any of the other agencies about the situation,'' Hogan said.
Groves said Fletcher, a former Air Force fighter pilot, was unaware until he landed of the uproar at the Capitol or that a pair of F-15 fighters had been sent aloft during the incident."
--- I think they have finally gone too far. The FAA knew about this plane, and they are the ones who notify NORAD to send F-15 fighter jets....someone appears to be terrorizing the folks at the Reagon memorial for no apparent reason screaming 'one minute to impact' and 'RUN' at mourners. One woman had to be taken away by ambulance.----
this from another article
"The cause of the uproar, as we later learned: an unidentified aircraft had entered Capitol airspace without authorization"
http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/jun2004/nf20040610_8949_db017.htm
this author also describes the REASON for this
"I was no longer thinking of Reagan. I was thinking of 9/11. As soon as I got outside, the police started to guide us. Then some actually started running with us. Women were throwing their shoes in the grass. I took mine off, heard an officer yell at me to keep going, and I felt the first rock dig into my foot. The moment of true terror for me was seeing a police officer turn around and look toward the sky over the Capitol. Then I ran faster than my legs could carry me. "
Aide: Plane in D.C. Scare Not Off Course
Thursday June 10, 2004 6:46 PM
AP Photo CAP101
By CHARLES WOLFE
Associated Press Writer
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Gov. Ernie Fletcher's airplane, which touched off a security scare at the U.S. Capitol, was never off course and never lost radio contact with controllers, aides to the governor said Thursday.
Dignitaries and mourners preparing for the arrival of Ronald Reagan's casket Wednesday stampeded out of the Capitol after police said an unidentified plane might be headed for the building.
Fletcher's plane, a 32-year-old Kentucky State Police turboprop, was taking the governor to Reagan's funeral at the time.
Daniel Groves, the governor's chief of staff, said at a news conference Thursday that the plane's transponder, which transmits the plane's identifying signal to controllers, had quit working shortly after takeoff from Greater Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport. At that point, the pilots went by the book and maintained contact with air-traffic controllers for the rest of the flight, Groves said.
Both he and Doug Hogan, the governor's communications director, said controllers apparently didn't pass the word on to security agencies that the plane had permission to be in restricted air space.
``They (pilots) followed directions from air traffic controllers explicitly,'' Hogan said. ``They did not wander off course. They did not inadvertently enter the air space. They had permission to be there.
``It would appear the air traffic controllers did not notify any of the other agencies about the situation,'' Hogan said.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed Wednesday that the Beechcraft King Air 200 had permission to fly into the restricted air space.
The mixup had police fearing the aircraft was headed for the Capitol. Crowds raced out of the building after occupants were warned, ``You have one minute to impact.''
Groves said Fletcher, a former Air Force fighter pilot, was unaware until he landed of the uproar at the Capitol or that a pair of F-15 fighters had been sent aloft during the incident.
``He did not sense any danger or any concern because they were in full control of the airplane,'' Groves said.
The building was reopened at around 4:30 p.m. EDT, about 1 hours before the start of the procession bringing Reagan's body to the Capitol Rotunda.
Thursday June 10, 2004 6:46 PM
AP Photo CAP101
By CHARLES WOLFE
Associated Press Writer
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Gov. Ernie Fletcher's airplane, which touched off a security scare at the U.S. Capitol, was never off course and never lost radio contact with controllers, aides to the governor said Thursday.
Dignitaries and mourners preparing for the arrival of Ronald Reagan's casket Wednesday stampeded out of the Capitol after police said an unidentified plane might be headed for the building.
Fletcher's plane, a 32-year-old Kentucky State Police turboprop, was taking the governor to Reagan's funeral at the time.
Daniel Groves, the governor's chief of staff, said at a news conference Thursday that the plane's transponder, which transmits the plane's identifying signal to controllers, had quit working shortly after takeoff from Greater Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport. At that point, the pilots went by the book and maintained contact with air-traffic controllers for the rest of the flight, Groves said.
Both he and Doug Hogan, the governor's communications director, said controllers apparently didn't pass the word on to security agencies that the plane had permission to be in restricted air space.
``They (pilots) followed directions from air traffic controllers explicitly,'' Hogan said. ``They did not wander off course. They did not inadvertently enter the air space. They had permission to be there.
``It would appear the air traffic controllers did not notify any of the other agencies about the situation,'' Hogan said.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed Wednesday that the Beechcraft King Air 200 had permission to fly into the restricted air space.
The mixup had police fearing the aircraft was headed for the Capitol. Crowds raced out of the building after occupants were warned, ``You have one minute to impact.''
Groves said Fletcher, a former Air Force fighter pilot, was unaware until he landed of the uproar at the Capitol or that a pair of F-15 fighters had been sent aloft during the incident.
``He did not sense any danger or any concern because they were in full control of the airplane,'' Groves said.
The building was reopened at around 4:30 p.m. EDT, about 1 hours before the start of the procession bringing Reagan's body to the Capitol Rotunda.
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