Posted on 06/19/2003 1:11:37 PM PDT by Sweet_Sunflower29
Newly released FBI documents say a 15-year-old boy who stole a plane and crashed it into a skyscraper might have originally targeted MacDill Air Force Base in his suicide mission. An FBI review of Charles Bishop's Internet activity showed the teen sought maps of the base and information about it. He also sent an e-mail to a classmate asking where Central Command was located on the base.
Bishop died on Jan. 5, 2002, when he flew a Cessna stolen from a flight school into the Bank of America building in downtown Tampa. He left a note expressing sympathy for Osama bin Laden.
The FBI report obtained by The Tampa Tribune said agents were initially concerned that Bishop had made contact with "other young people who might have the propensity to carry out an act of terrorism similar to Bishop's."
"To date, this investigation has not provided any indication that Bishop participated in a concerted effort with other individuals," the FBI report said.
During the suicide flight, Bishop briefly flew over the base, but when Coast Guard helicopters tried to intercept him, he veered off and flew a few miles toward downtown. No one else was hurt in the crash.
Bishop's family blames his suicide on the acne drug Accutane and has sued the drug's makers for $70 million. Hoffmann-La Roche has denied any link between its drug and suicide.
Bishop had e-mailed a friend telling him to watch the news for a story about him, the FBI report said.
Even before 9/11 the convenience and fun was being sucked out of GA, even if you were going the whole 9 yards and filing IFR all the time (Since I am near PHL, filing IFR made routing a heck of a lot easier). Between ever expanding controlled airspace, landing fees, and generally hostile attitude toward GA, including by controllers, the whole thing kind of lost it's appeal for me, even if I do hold a Com'l ticket. There were always times when I just wanted to FLY, for pure enjoyment and the occasional aerobatic experience, without having to cross every T and dot every I, and sadly, that is no longer the case.
This attitude by the press of sensationalising any GA incident is identical to their attitude about firearms, and just as dispicable.
Keep the Faith For Freedom
Greg>
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