- Payroll tax deal close: Why did Republicans back down? (+video)
- Israel says Bangkok, Delhi, and Tbilisi attacks all linked – to Iran
- Rick Santorum's new machine-gun ad: Will it work? (+video)
- As Sarkozy seeks new term, French are wary of 'Merkozy' (+video)
- Honduras prison fire kills more than 300, highlights regional problem (+video)
F-16 fighter jets take down lost plane (gently) - Obama relocated
William Wales, of Maine, takes a map from his airplane at the Maryland Airport in Indian Head, Md. on Friday. Wales, who is believed to have accidentally flown his plane into restricted airspace near the U.S. Capitol, was escorted away by two fighter jets.
JACQUELYN MARTIN/AP
It's happened before, and it'll happen again.
Skip to next paragraphRecent posts
-
02.15.12
Should Ron Paul demand a new vote count in Maine? -
02.14.12
'Crate-Gate' puts Mitt Romney in doghouse at Westminster show -
02.14.12
Is Rick Santorum facing a brewing 'women problem'? -
02.14.12
Can Mitt Romney convince Arizona he is a true conservative? -
02.14.12
Will Mitt Romney's aversion to the auto bailout hurt him in Michigan? (+video)
A small plane went into restricted airspace in Washington, DC, today. This time though it got a little too close for comfort. So President Obama and Vice President Biden had to be briefly relocated to ensure their safety. And for a while the US Capitol was evacuated.
Within minutes of the single-engine plane entering the restricted zone, it was over. Peacefully.
Had the two F-16 fighter jets just blown the offending plane out of the sky, it would have been far more newsworthy. But "shoot first, ask questions later" isn't the policy of the military when a plane strays into the capital's airspace.
And that's a good thing, because it was an accident. Just a couple flying from Maine to North Carolina to see their daughter. Probably the man got lost. The wife told him to ask someone for help. Being a male, he refused and next thing you know, Iceman and Maverick show up.
The owner of the airport where the plane landed said it was a navigation mistake.
"The pilot got confused," Tom Bauserman told the Associated Press.
"This has happened many times," he continued. "The restricted zone in D.C., all it does is catch poor innocent people. They've never caught a terrorist, it's just people making a mistake."
------
We'll never shoot you down. So follow us on Twitter!








These comments are not screened before publication. Constructive debate about the above story is welcome, but personal attacks are not. Please do not post comments that are commercial in nature or that violate any copyright[s]. Comments that we regard as obscene, defamatory, or intended to incite violence will be removed. If you find a comment offensive, you may flag it.