Breaking news on the telly right now.
The White House and U.S. Capitol building have been evacuated. Fighter jets seen flying over the area.
I’m guessing it’s gonna end up being some pilot that “accidentally” strayed into the wrong area.
Whoops. Now CNN is reporting that the situation is over, and people are being escorted back into the area.
That’s what they’re speculating.
Small airplane wandered into Capitol Airspace. Sounds like all is clear now.
Some dentist in a Cesna has not heard the last of this.
Still, much better to call an alert too soon than too late. Someone made a good call.
ACK!!!
Dear CNN Talking Head,
It’s Cessna; not Cezzna!
Johnny L.A.
Sorry, but it’s like a cheese grater on my scrotum when they do that.
I know absolutely zilch about flying, so I’ve always wondered how easy it is to stray into restricted airspace. Especially when you’re flying around DC, you’d think you’d be fairly aware of where you are, where you’re headed, and where you shouldn’t be. Are there beacons of some sort that start warning you you’re approaching off-limits areas? Do voices start yapping in from somewhere warning you to back off, or your friendly Air Force fighter jets will back you off for you? I just don’t get how this happens accidentally.
As I said, I’m completely ignorant on this stuff so feel free to set me straight.
Technically you could use two VOR receivers to indicate when you’re about to cross into restricted airspace, by tuning into two VORs such that the needle on each receiver would be vertical at the point of intrusion. I don’t know if anybody does that though.
Many small aircraft are equipped with GPS and moving map displays. Many, but not most. A GPS can indicate when you are about to intrude.
When I was flying near Edwards AFB, I used a sectional chart and landmarks. That is, I’d look at the chart and look at the ground, and give myself plenty of room between me and the hatched blue lines. On a trip up to Inyokern (Inyo Kern?) I noticed that the NAS China Lake’s ristricted area was very close to the civilian airport. I think my instructor sent me up there (it was a solo training flight) so that I would have a chance to practice not flying into a restricted area.
Incidentally, there are other types of airspace that must be avoided. Military Operations Areas can be dangerous if they are ‘hot’. Class B airspace (‘B’: Think ‘Boeing’ – large airports) require permission to enter. Class C requires Communication with the controlling authority. Class D requires Dialog with the controlling authority (tower).
There’s also a plan to shoot laser beams at aircraft which fly into restricted airspace over D.C., vaporizing them in milliseconds. OK, I lied about the “vaporizing in milliseconds” part; actually, the pilot just sees a harmless sequence of different-colored flashing lights.
The aircraft has been identified as a Cessna 150, N5826G, owned by Vintage Aero Club (or a vintage aircraft aero club). The guy on CNN right now is a pilot himself, and seems to be doing a decent job of explaining the situation in layman’s terms.
He also noted that the C-150 can barely make 100 mph (IIRC, they have a top speed of 110 mph, but that may be the C-152), and that ‘if it weighs 2,000 pounds soaking wet’ then that’s a lot, and it is thus incapable of causing much damage if someone wanted to use it as a weapon.
The CNN guy, Miles-something, also noted that this sort of thing gives General Aviation a ‘black eye’, which creates a situation where people like himself (which is nearly all GA pilots) are unable to fly into some places.
I work at L’Enfant Plaza, and I heard the jets fly over!
And yet on 9/11, they couldn’t respond for an hour after knowing planes were hijacked. Must’ve really updraded.
I have been informed that the plane landed in Frederick, MD and that the pilot is in custody. Not that it matters much but that’s what I’ve been told.
I wonder why Frederick though, that’s a good bit away and there are a number of airports between DC and Frederick. They probably flew right over my house on the way.
From one article. . .
Still, Frederick is only about 50 miles from DC. Are there really a number of airports between the two?
I bet it would fun to try to take out a Cessna with an F-16.
Just don’t do it over the White House. 
Maybe it’s the one best equipped for small planes? National is way too close to the sensitive areas and Dulles has a lot of big jet traffic – landing a little plane there might tie up air traffic for a good while.
–Cliffy
Wouldn’t be hard. Just kick in the afterburners a couple of miles back and blow by the Cessna about 20 ft. away. The shockwave and turbulence will shred the sucker. Getting a lock with a Sidewinder would be a bit more problematic. 
There is at least the Gaithersburg airport, which is not as large between them. But there are a number of airports around DC including College Park, Indian Head, and Manassas which would all be close. The best reason I can guess is because at Frederick they house at least a few State Troopers. Or maybe someone just likes Frederick.