My wife, with her patented cynicism amplifier, suggested that the plane was a deliberate test of the security procedures, and that the pilot will slip quietly into obscurity after a bit of show coverage.
Your wife has good instincts. IMO it is very possible this was a security test, especially since the pilot was released and not charged with at least being ignorant of the law. The reaction to the alarm has to be instructive no matter whether the incident was planned or accidental.