Posted on 04/06/2009 6:32:06 PM PDT by pissant
U.S. F-16 fighter jets are tracking a single-engine plane over Missouri that was stolen from a Thunder Bay, Ont., aviation school Monday afternoon.
Lt.-Cmdr. Gary Ross of NORAD in Colorado told CTV Newsnet that as of about 9 p.m. the plane was about 50 kilometres east of Salem.
"We remain in pursuit and are trying to encourage the pilot to land safely," he said.
Ross said the pilot has not responded to radio calls from the F-16s or the FAA and that the stolen Cessna 172 only has about one hour of fuel left.
He also said the pilot has refused to acknowledge the nonverbal communications from the F-16 jets to follow them.
(Excerpt) Read more at ctv.ca ...
UNITED STATES / CANADA (BNO NEWS) -- A Cessna 172 airplane was reported stolen from a flight school in Thunder Bay, Canada on Monday afternoon, illegally entered U.S. airspace has now landed in Missouri, FAA and other officials tell BNO News.
The airplane theft was first reported at 2.55 p.m. local time after it took off from Confederation College at Thunder Bay International Airport in Canada, according to Laura Craig who is a spokeswoman for the airport. "Confederation College officials reported the theft immediately and requested the assistance of Thunder Bay Police," a statement read. "The aircraft was tracked by radar and crossed into U.S. airspace," she added. Craig also said that the college is cooperating with Thunder Bay Police to recover the airplane and identify the individual flying the airplane.
In the United States, multiple agencies such as the Federal Aviation Authority, NORAD and the U.S. Air Force are closely following the situation. "They believe its one of the students and we've been tracking the aircraft since it entered U.S. airspace and we are still tracking it, he is currently over central Wisconsin," FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown told BNO News earlier. She later told BNO News that the aircraft had since entered Illinois airspace. Only one person was believed to be on board. Brown also said that attempts to make contact with the pilot have failed and it is unclear what his intentions are.
Two F-16 fighter jets quickly intercepted the aircraft after it entered U.S. airspace, a spokesman for NORAD confirmed to BNO News. At around 9.50 p.m. Eastern Time, the aircraft landed at Highway 60 in Missouri, near the town of Ellsinore. The suspect has fled the scene and emergency services are at the scene, looking for the suspect, officials with NORAD told BNO News.
According to an official at Central Wisconsin Airport in Mosinee, authorities were earlier preparing to force the plane to land at the airport. "They were apparently going to force an airplane to land here but [it was] called off about a quarter to five. Nothing happened here," he said. Dozens of emergency vehicles were dispatched to the airport but have since left. He had no other information about the plane.
Due to the ongoing incident, the Wisconsin Capitol was briefly evacuated. According to the Associated Press, the building was evacuated out of precaution due to the stolen aircraft in the area. People were being ordered to stay at least one block away from the building and police cars with sirens were driving around the Capitol.
NORAD said the incident is not believed to be terrorism related.
These days Presidential terms are too long
I never realized how long the season was until I read somewhere about how common doubleheaders used to be. That's when I finally figured out how a 162-game season has ended up lasting something like 6-8 weeks longer than a 154-game season used to last.
I can hardly wait to hear the whole story!
120 to 130mph would be my first guess. Wikipedia says 141mph top speed at sea level. Performance decreases with altitude.
120-130mph is about the top speed of the fastest WW1 fighters.
That's at gross weight. Only one person on-board and low fuel makes a big difference. Plus he obviously knows enough to properly lean the mixture to get to that altitude.
I guessing he was going somewhere and needed the winds aloft to get there.
“How’d you hold your breath for 7 hours?”
Didn’t have to, most people don’t have any impairmint at 14,000’.
Sure seems that way!
Right. About 3 years, 10 months too long!
But I bet he’s getting cold.
Did he run from the plane holding his pants up???
That's a big IF we hear the whole story. Nothing to see here, move along.
Hey TBM! Good to see you around. Hope you are fully recovered.
Last week I was at the US Capitol on a tour. The guy behind me in line was wearing a CV-62 USS Independence cap and we struck up a conversation. He was in the Navy for 31 years, 2 years on the Independence as the command master chief, the highest enlisted man on the ship. I think from ‘76-’78.
I thanked him for his service to our country. He said that folks saying that means the world to people like him, even the retired ones.
You are probably 2/3’s right
When the Tigers went to the world series a couple of years back they ended up with a 12 day break while the Cardinals played through thier playoffs. I think the long break hurt the Tigers.
We had about 5 inches of snow here today. I’m about 70 miles west of detroit.
Bush was in Nashville in 04 for a campaign stop, when a bi-wing airplane, probably not a crop duster, pleasure, flew over the house. A minute later in behind him came a F-18, my guess, wings forward, flaps and wheels down. About as slow as he could go.
can you smell it from there?
John Denver (not his real name) should’ve been so lucky (and the rest of us in effect unlucky!)
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