General Aviation News
How did two Cessna 150 pilots cause worldwide hysteria?
Charles Spence
6/3/2005
WASHINGTON, D.C. From January to mid-April of this year, Blackhawk helicopters patrolling the sky in the ADIZ around the Washington/Baltimore area have responded to more than 280 incursions. That averaged three a day. But one last month when two persons in a Cessna 150 came close to the White House generated worldwide hysteria. What made this one so different?
Apparently there were two differences with this flight. First, after entering the ADIZ the aircraft, according to a depiction in "The Washington Post" appeared to be exiting the ADIZ and then suddenly turned back, aiming directly toward the government buildings and, second, the pilots refused to alter course after the intercept. As a result, the flight came within three miles of the White House. That distance is less than one-and-a-half lengths of a runway at Dulles Airport. The plane came within seconds of a decision to shoot down.
After first heading for the airport at Leesburg, Va., and then going to Frederick, Md., the plane landed and both pilots were taken into custody. It was explained that neither the pilot nor the person with a student license had checked weather or NOTAMS. Reports indicated when Blackhawk helicopters came alongside the 150, the elder man "froze" and the student pilot had to take over and follow the intercepting aircraft.
No charges were filed against the two pilots, but the FAA has actions pending against the older man with a private license, and you can bet your bottom dollar that both pilots are being investigated to a point that there will be a record of their lives down to knowing every time they burped.
Much of the Homeland Security Department's efforts are classified. But some information indicates the extent of ADIZ incursions. From January 2003 to July 2004, there were more than 2,000 "targets of interest" detected over the Washington airspace. The Blackhawks based at Reagan National Airport scrambled 350 times. Some of these were aircraft violating the ADIZ, some were the result of poor communications, and some were reported to be radar problems.
