White House Briefly Evacuated

AP ^ | June 19, 2002 | AP

[SBeck]

White House Briefly Evacuated
The Associated Press
Jun 19 2002 9:11PM

WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House was briefly evacuated Wednesday night after a small plane failed to make radio contact with Reagan National Airport as it flew over the capital, officials said.

An F-16 military jet was scrambled and tracked the plane until it landed at the airport in Richmond, Va., law-enforcement and aviation officials said.

The evacuation was ordered 20 minutes after President Bush returned to the building from a Republican fund-raising event at the Washington Convention Center.

Bush remained in the White House throughout the evacuation, a senior administration official said.

Law enforcement officials said a Cessna plane was flying southwest in restricted airspace over the capital and failed to make radio contact with the control towers at Reagan National Airport. The plane then changed direction, prompting the Secret Service to end the evacuation.

In response, at least one F-16 was scrambled and tracked the plane until it landed, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Within 15 minutes of the evacuation, staff was allowed to return to the building.

It was the first evacuation of the White House since Sept. 11, when the building was thought to be a target of one of the hijacked jetliners used in the attack on New York and Washington.

The evacuation occurred just hours after a separate incident in which the nearby Federal Reserve building was evacuated because of a suspicious package, which turned out to be harmless.

[AmericaNeedsDemocrats]

Hmm, did they evacuate (or even alert) everyone else in Washington too? Or are the ordinary people that the president is meant to serve not good enough to deserve that?

[iceskater]

Bush remained in the White House throughout the evacuation, a senior administration official said.

Laura Bush said on the Today show this morning that they weren't in the White House when this happened.

Supposedly the plane was trying to avoid some storms. It's not clear according to news reports in Richmond whether the plane is still here or not.

[SBeck]

Doesn't the first lady know there's a political campaign, er, war going on? /sarcasm

[MinuteGal]

I see you just registered today. Congratulations on winning the dumbest question of the year in such short order.

Leni

[KS Flyover]

"Hmm, did they evacuate (or even alert) everyone else in Washington too?"

Yes, they evacuated all of Washington and then told everybody it was safe to return 15 minutes later.

[Freedom'sWorthIt]

America Needs Democrats - good name. Had it not been for the Demonrats in control of this country for eight years from hell - we would not have had the terrorist attack which killed over 3000 Americans.

Democrats === criminal syndicate.

Allies: Dixie Mafia / FALN Terrorists / IRA Terrorists / Palestinian Terrorists / and Larry Flynt.

Worldview: Liberal / Socialist / Communist / Totalitarian

Posterboy heroes: Mao / Stalin / Pol Pot / Castro

Enemies: People who love freedom / People of Judeo-Christian Faith.

Tell me again why we need Democrats?

[iceskater]

I don't want to bash Laura Bush. She is light years better than the previous first lady. She was on the Today show to talk about some reading program. Of course, Matt (the Moron) Lauer had to ask about this incident right off the bat. I just find it odd that the AP said they were in the WH and Laura Bush said they weren't.

I still haven't heard the pilot's name in any news reports yet this morning. Of course, that makes me wonder. From the bits and pieces I've heard this morning, the plane was going from Massachuessets to Raleigh, NC. Supposedly there were storms that they were trying to avoid. Somebody (the FAA? I'm not sure who) is getting that data to confirm. It's also unclear whether the plane has been allowed to go on its merry way or not. The plane landed and did not taxi onto the regular taxi-ways. It was moved over to some more secure area of the airport.

It could be that this whole thing will turn out to be a stupid mistake of the pilot. But the lack of information this many hours later makes me wonder what else might be going on.

[AmericaNeedsDemocrats]

Um, yeah. So maybe you would care to tell me Bush ditched Clinton's contingency plan on terrorism and axed the budget. You sure it was the Democrat's fault?

[AmericaNeedsDemocrats]

Oh, how witty, you're so clever. Oh, I wish I was as clever as you. Please, please God, give me more braincells so I can equal this complete idiot...... (head explodes over computer screen). Sorry about that, lost my sanity for a while back there. Ahahahahahahahaha, back to how great you are........................... .............................. .............................. ..............................

[AmericaNeedsDemocrats]

You should have known I was insane by the fact that I actually joined this dumb site. Thankyou for the priviledge!

[AmericaNeedsDemocrats]

If the first four years were hell, then why did people vote him in again?

[Freedom'sWorthIt]

Because Ross Perot was corrupt enough to run twice to divide the conservative vote. And he was paid well for this effort. (His company was).

[AmericanInTokyo]

I see that pond scum known as "AmericanNeedsDemocrats" has now been officially 'defrocked' by the Freeper College of Cardinals! LOL! Sayonara A/N/D!

[AmericanInTokyo]

What's also interesting is that not only American military aircraft actually got into the action. The first indication was the Germans getting aloft from Andrews on NATO 10 (E-3B AWACS Geilenkirchen GE). Allies at work.

[Freedom'sWorthIt]

We could hope you are no longer here.

[SBeck]

Um, I'm not too comfortable with that. Also, I think that German squadron is based out of Dulles, which I'm also not too comfortable with.

[Freedom'sWorthIt]

oh, good! They are fast! Thank you, Administrators!

[AmericanInTokyo]

He/She/It has just been removed from FR.

[Atsilvquodi]

lets buy the Admin mod a (virtual) beer for so quickly getting rid of that one!

[AmericanInTokyo]

cheers. also, this kind feels like puttin' one of those electric mosquito zappers out on the backporch in Louisiana in the summer.

"Zap!"

"Zap!"