• About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Home
  • Write for us
Today Headline
No Result
View All Result
  • breaking news today
    • Politics news
    • Sports
    • Science News
  • Entertainment News
  • Technology News
    • Automotive
  • Health News
    • Lifestyle
    • Insurance
  • Finance News
    • Money
  • Enterprise
  • Contact Us
  • breaking news today
    • Politics news
    • Sports
    • Science News
  • Entertainment News
  • Technology News
    • Automotive
  • Health News
    • Lifestyle
    • Insurance
  • Finance News
    • Money
  • Enterprise
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
TodayHeadline
No Result
View All Result

FAA to review as parachute stunt triggers Capitol evacuation – WTOP

April 21, 2022
in breaking news today
0
FAA to review as parachute stunt triggers Capitol evacuation – WTOP

he Federal Aviation Administration says it’s reviewing an apparent communications breakdown that led police to think an aircraft carrying military parachutists for a baseball stadium stunt was “a probable threat,” prompting an alert and urgent evacuation of the U.S. Capitol.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Aviation Administration says it’s reviewing an apparent communications breakdown that led police to think an aircraft carrying military parachutists for a baseball stadium stunt was “a probable threat,” prompting an alert and urgent evacuation of the U.S. Capitol.

The U.S. Capitol Police alert about the plane, which was transporting members of the U.S. Army Golden Knights who later parachuted into Nationals Park, sent congressional staffers fleeing the Capitol and legislative building on Wednesday evening.

The incident suggested a stunning communications failure among the military, the FAA and the Capitol Police, all the more remarkable because of Washington’s focus on improving security since the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by supporters of then-President Donald Trump.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi blamed the FAA in a statement Wednesday night, saying its “apparent failure to notify Capitol Police” of the pre-planned flyover for Military Appreciation Night at Nationals Park, home of the Washington Nationals, was “outrageous and inexcusable.”

The FAA said it “takes its role in protecting the national airspace seriously and will conduct a thorough and expeditious review of the events this evening and share updates.” The agency said it knows its actions affect others, “especially in our nation’s capital region, and we must communicate early and often with our law enforcement partners.”

Kelli LeGaspi, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Army Recruiting Command, which was behind the Golden Knights’ pregame demonstration, said in a statement, “We are reviewing all aspects of the event to ensure all procedures were followed appropriately to coordinate both the flight and the parachute demonstration.”

Many people who work on Capitol Hill have remained on edge more than a year after hundreds of pro-Trump rioters pushed their way past overwhelmed police officers, broke through windows and doors and ransacked the Capitol as Congress was voting to certify Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election win.

In Wednesday’s incident, the aircraft, a twin-engine plane, took off from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland and had been circling inside heavily restricted airspace close to the Capitol when the alert was sent. Radar tracking data shows the plane, a De Havilland Twin Otter, remained clear of the prohibited airspace over the Capitol building and other government complexes at all times. Air traffic control recordings capture the army plane coordinating its 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 law enforcement officials in Washington, two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. Multiple federal agencies began scrambling officials as the plane circled overhead.

The capital region is defended by several surface-to-air missile sites, as well as military aircrews on round-the-clock alert. It did not appear that any of those systems was scrambled.

Officials believe, based on a preliminary review, the pilot may have not properly reported taking off or had appropriate clearance, the people said. They were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity.

Pelosi said, “Congress looks forward to reviewing the results of a thorough after-action review that determines what precisely went wrong today and who at the Federal Aviation Administration will be held accountable for this outrageous and frightening mistake.”

The plane landed back at Andrews around 6:50 p.m. after the parachutists descended into the middle of the field at Nationals Park, a little more than 1 mile (1.61 kilometers) from the U.S. Capitol.

One witness to the chaos at the Capitol was Eireann Dolan, the wife of Nationals pitcher Sean Doolittle. “I was walking the dogs past the Dirksen Senate Office Building,” Dolan tweeted. ”People started streaming out all at once. They told me to turn around and get away as fast as possible. Some people were calm but many were genuinely panicked. I know I was.”

Buildings on the Capitol complex were reopened a little after 8 p.m.

The Washington Nationals lost the game to the Arizona Diamondbacks 11-2.

___

Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick and Alan Fram contributed to this report.

Copyright
© 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

The U.S. Army Parachute Team the Golden Knights descend into National Park before a baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the Arizona Diamondbacks Wednesday, April 20, 2022, in Washington. The U.S. Capitol was briefly evacuated after police said they were tracking an aircraft “that poses a probable threat,” but the plane turned out to be the military aircraft with people parachuting out of it for a demonstration at the Nationals game, officials told The Associated Press. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
The U.S. Army Parachute Team the Golden Knights descend into National Park before a baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the Arizona Diamondbacks Wednesday, April 20, 2022, in Washington. The U.S. Capitol was briefly evacuated after police said they were tracking an aircraft “that poses a probable threat,” but the plane turned out to be the military aircraft with people parachuting out of it for a demonstration at the Nationals game, officials told The Associated Press. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

AP/Alex Brandon

The U.S. Army Parachute Team the Golden Knights descend into National Park before a baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the Arizona Diamondbacks Wednesday, April 20, 2022, in Washington. The U.S. Capitol was briefly evacuated after police said they were tracking an aircraft “that poses a probable threat,” but the plane turned out to be the military aircraft with people parachuting out of it for a demonstration at the Nationals game, officials told The Associated Press. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
The U.S. Army Parachute Team the Golden Knights descend into National Park before a baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the Arizona Diamondbacks Wednesday, April 20, 2022, in Washington. The U.S. Capitol was briefly evacuated after police said they were tracking an aircraft “that poses a probable threat,” but the plane turned out to be the military aircraft with people parachuting out of it for a demonstration at the Nationals game, officials told The Associated Press. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

AP/Alex Brandon

The U.S. Army Parachute Team the Golden Knights descend into National Park before a baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the Arizona Diamondbacks Wednesday, April 20, 2022, in Washington. The U.S. Capitol was briefly evacuated after police said they were tracking an aircraft “that poses a probable threat,” but the plane turned out to be the military aircraft with people parachuting out of it for a demonstration at the Nationals game, officials told The Associated Press. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
The U.S. Army Parachute Team the Golden Knights descend into National Park before a baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the Arizona Diamondbacks Wednesday, April 20, 2022, in Washington. The U.S. Capitol was briefly evacuated after police said they were tracking an aircraft “that poses a probable threat,” but the plane turned out to be the military aircraft with people parachuting out of it for a demonstration at the Nationals game, officials told The Associated Press. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

AP/Alex Brandon

The U.S. Army Parachute Team the Golden Knights descend into National Park before a baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the Arizona Diamondbacks Wednesday, April 20, 2022, in Washington. The U.S. Capitol was briefly evacuated after police said they were tracking an aircraft “that poses a probable threat,” but the plane turned out to be the military aircraft with people parachuting out of it for a demonstration at the Nationals game, officials told The Associated Press. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
The U.S. Army Parachute Team the Golden Knights descend into National Park before a baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the Arizona Diamondbacks Wednesday, April 20, 2022, in Washington. The U.S. Capitol was briefly evacuated after police said they were tracking an aircraft “that poses a probable threat,” but the plane turned out to be the military aircraft with people parachuting out of it for a demonstration at the Nationals game, officials told The Associated Press. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

AP/Alex Brandon

The U.S. Army Parachute Team the Golden Knights descend into National Park before a baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the Arizona Diamondbacks Wednesday, April 20, 2022, in Washington. The U.S. Capitol was briefly evacuated after police said they were tracking an aircraft “that poses a probable threat,” but the plane turned out to be the military aircraft with people parachuting out of it for a demonstration at the Nationals game, officials told The Associated Press. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
The U.S. Army Parachute Team the Golden Knights descend into National Park before a baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the Arizona Diamondbacks Wednesday, April 20, 2022, in Washington. The U.S. Capitol was briefly evacuated after police said they were tracking an aircraft “that poses a probable threat,” but the plane turned out to be the military aircraft with people parachuting out of it for a demonstration at the Nationals game, officials told The Associated Press. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

AP/Alex Brandon

The U.S. Army Parachute Team the Golden Knights jump out of their aircraft before a baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Nationals Park, Wednesday, April 20, 2022, in Washington. The U.S. Capitol was briefly evacuated after police said they were tracking an aircraft “that poses a probable threat,” but the plane turned out to be the military aircraft with people parachuting out of it for a demonstration at the Nationals game, officials told The Associated Press. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
The U.S. Army Parachute Team the Golden Knights jump out of their aircraft before a baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Nationals Park, Wednesday, April 20, 2022, in Washington. The U.S. Capitol was briefly evacuated after police said they were tracking an aircraft “that poses a probable threat,” but the plane turned out to be the military aircraft with people parachuting out of it for a demonstration at the Nationals game, officials told The Associated Press. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

AP/Alex Brandon

The U.S. Army Parachute Team the Golden Knights jump out of their aircraft before a baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Nationals Park, Wednesday, April 20, 2022, in Washington. The U.S. Capitol was briefly evacuated after police said they were tracking an aircraft “that poses a probable threat,” but the plane turned out to be the military aircraft with people parachuting out of it for a demonstration at the Nationals game, officials told The Associated Press. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
The U.S. Army Parachute Team the Golden Knights jump out of their aircraft before a baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Nationals Park, Wednesday, April 20, 2022, in Washington. The U.S. Capitol was briefly evacuated after police said they were tracking an aircraft “that poses a probable threat,” but the plane turned out to be the military aircraft with people parachuting out of it for a demonstration at the Nationals game, officials told The Associated Press. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

AP/Alex Brandon

Previous Post

Russia-Ukraine War Live News: Mariupol, Putin and the Latest Updates – The New York Times

Next Post

Queen Elizabeth celebrates 96th birthday in milestone jubilee year – CNN

Related Posts

Scantily clad younger man walks in during Arizona Democrat Matt Heinz’s Zoom call
breaking news today

Scantily clad younger man walks in during Arizona Democrat Matt Heinz’s Zoom call

A half-naked man wearing a...

Read more
UN has the power to end destruction, suffering in Ukraine
breaking news today

UN has the power to end destruction, suffering in Ukraine

I just watched a 1944...

Read more
Naomi Osaka announces pregnancy on social media, and plans to play Australian Open in 2024
breaking news today

Naomi Osaka announces pregnancy on social media, and plans to play Australian Open in 2024

Naomi Osaka has announced she...

Read more
Voter ID Will Now Be Needed At Elections – Here’s How New Rules Could Affect You
breaking news today

Voter ID Will Now Be Needed At Elections – Here’s How New Rules Could Affect You

(Alamy) 7...

Read more
Kevin McCarthy’s Road To Speaker Was Filled With Drama And Dysfunction – Deadline
breaking news today

Kevin McCarthy’s Road To Speaker Was Filled With Drama And Dysfunction – Deadline

Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) finally got...

Read more
Load More
Next Post
Queen Elizabeth celebrates 96th birthday in milestone jubilee year – CNN

Queen Elizabeth celebrates 96th birthday in milestone jubilee year - CNN

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
poker

Poker Strategies of Celebrity Players: Tips from the Pros

An Ava Max Song Led The Netherlands’ Far Right Party To Implode

An Ava Max Song Led The Netherlands’ Far Right Party To Implode

Espoma | Video: Stone Raised Bed Prep. with Summer Rayne Oakes || Flock Finger Lakes

Espoma | Video: Stone Raised Bed Prep. with Summer Rayne Oakes || Flock Finger Lakes

Keke Palmer Subtly Reveals the Sex of Her Baby

Keke Palmer Subtly Reveals the Sex of Her Baby

Common Food Dye Could Increase the Risk of Inflammatory

Common Food Dye Could Increase the Risk of Inflammatory

Disney+ shares trailer for j-hope of BTS documentary ‘j-hope IN THE BOX’

Disney+ shares trailer for j-hope of BTS documentary ‘j-hope IN THE BOX’

Financial adviser: Mayer not qualified to be a CEO

Siblings scheme away in Succession Season 4 sneak-peek

Siblings scheme away in Succession Season 4 sneak-peek

About Us

Todayheadline the independent news and topics discovery
A home-grown and independent news and topic aggregation . displays breaking news linking to news websites all around the world.

Follow Us

Latest News

Common Food Dye Could Increase the Risk of Inflammatory

Common Food Dye Could Increase the Risk of Inflammatory

Disney+ shares trailer for j-hope of BTS documentary ‘j-hope IN THE BOX’

Disney+ shares trailer for j-hope of BTS documentary ‘j-hope IN THE BOX’

Financial adviser: Mayer not qualified to be a CEO

Common Food Dye Could Increase the Risk of Inflammatory

Common Food Dye Could Increase the Risk of Inflammatory

Disney+ shares trailer for j-hope of BTS documentary ‘j-hope IN THE BOX’

Disney+ shares trailer for j-hope of BTS documentary ‘j-hope IN THE BOX’

Financial adviser: Mayer not qualified to be a CEO

  • Real Estate
  • Parenting
  • Cooking
  • NFL Games On TV Today
  • Travel and Tourism
  • Home & Garden
  • Pets
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
  • About

© 2021 All rights are reserved Todayheadline

No Result
View All Result
  • Real Estate
  • Parenting
  • Cooking
  • NFL Games On TV Today
  • Travel and Tourism
  • Home & Garden
  • Pets
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
  • About

© 2021 All rights are reserved Todayheadline

Go to mobile version