A single-engine Piper Tri-Pacer violated Washington D.C. airspace, forcing the U.S. capital into temporary lock-down, and the evacuation of the President.
A single-engine Piper Tri-Pacer violated Washington D.C. airspace, forcing the U.S. capital into temporary lock-down. The pilot and his wife, who were en route from Maine to North Carolina, accidently entered the airspace after the failure of the aircraft’s GPS equipment. Two F-16 fighters and two U.S. Coast Guard helicopters were dispatched to intercept the Piper, which was then escorted to Indian Head Airport (IATA: 2W5) in nearby Maryland. The airport’s owner, Gil Bauserman, stated in an interview that “This has happened many times. The restricted zone in D.C., all it does is catch poor innocent people. They've never caught a terrorist; it's just people making a mistake”. Bauserman also stated “When F-16s showed up on this guy's wings, he was scared to death”. The shaken pilot was questioned by Secret Service agents in one of the airport’s hangers. President Barack Obama was temporarily relocated to an undisclosed location during the incident, but eventually returned to perform scheduled duties. The Senate was also briefly recessed. Another aircraft had also briefly penetrated the airspace, but landed before interceptors could be dispatched. Figures from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reveal approximately two aircraft enter the airspace on a daily basis.
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