WASHINGTON (AP) – The US Capitol was evacuated briefly on Wednesday night after police identified a plane they said was a “potential threat” – but the plane was actually carrying members of the US Army Golden Knights, who then parachuted into Nationals Park for pre-game demonstration.
A signal from U.S. Capitol police sent congressional officials to flee the Capitol and the Legislature at about 6:30 p.m.
The incident involved a stunning communication failure between the military and Capitol police, all the more remarkable because of Washington’s focus on improving security following the January 6, 2021 attack on the building by supporters of then-President Donald Trump.
Many Capitol workers remained on the brink for more than a year after hundreds of pro-Trump rebels made their way past congested police, smashed windows and doors, and searched the Capitol as Congress voted to declare Joe Biden’s election victory.
On Wednesday, the plane, a twin-engine plane, took off from the Andrews Joint Base in Maryland and was circling in very limited airspace near the Capitol when the warning was sent. Radar tracking data shows that the plane, De Havilland Twin Otter, has stayed out of the banned airspace over the Capitol building and other government complexes all along. Air traffic control footage captures the military plane coordinating its flight with the control tower at nearby Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington.
Investigators are still working to find out why the event was not properly coordinated with law enforcement officials in Washington, two acquaintances told the Associated Press. Numerous federal agencies began climbing officials as the plane circled over them.
The metropolitan area is protected by several surface-to-air missile sites, as well as military crews on round-the-clock alert. None of these systems seemed to be encrypted.
Authorities believe the pilot may not have reported properly for take-off or had an appropriate permit based on a preliminary inspection, people said. They were not authorized to discuss the issue in public and spoke to the PA on condition of anonymity.
The plane landed back in Andrews around 6:50 p.m., after paratroopers landed in midfield in Nationals Park. The stadium, home to the Washington Nationals baseball team, is just over a mile from the US Capitol.
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Associated Press authors Mary Clare Jalonik and Alan Fram contributed to this report.
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