Intruding Pilots Released Without Charges (yesterday's DC Cessna)

[underpants]

http://www.ksbitv.com/home/1571587.html

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A pilot and a student pilot were released without criminal charges Wednesday after their plane flew within three miles of the White House, prompting evacuations throughout the capital, officials said.


Law enforcement officials identified the men aboard the plane as Jim Sheaffer, the pilot, and Troy Martin, a student pilot. They were taken into custody by Maryland state police and turned over to FBI and Secret Service agents for questioning.

He added he's sure the breach was accidental and that they meant no harm. Federal officials said it's not believed they ever posed any kind of threat.

The men still could face civil action by the FAA, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told CNN.

That could include license suspensions and civil penalties up to $1,100 per violation, such as entering restricted airspace, failing to respond to communications, and failing to be properly informed of flight restrictions.


"Run, this is no joke, leave the grounds," a Secret Service agent told CNN's Suzanne Malveaux.

[bertha katzenengel]

1. Good. They shouldn't be charged.

Even though they made my boss and about 35k other people just about shit a brick, running out of the Capitol. :eyes:

[roughandtumble]

23. If the plane had a Kerry/Edwards bumper sticker on it..

While I am please that McCokie the preznit was not disturbed by the intrusion during his bike ride, can you imaging if the pilot was a Dem? It would be repugs as “IT IS God’s proclamation of MANDATE! Kill SS!, Make the Tax Cuts permanent! Make the Patriot Act permanent! Oh and string the Dem up by the nuts. Why do Liberals hate Amerika?”

Say hello to Amb Bolton, suckers!

[yvr girl]

2. I cannot believe a flight INSTRUCTOR would get lost

over DC. The guy is either a complete idiot or there is more to the story.

It was a clear day, and DC has several distinguishable landmarks.

[bonzotex]

10. there is more to this one...

We just won't ever hear it...

[gavodotcom]

12. Word.

[bonzotex]

24. so right!

"Duuuuhhh I'm just a shitty pilot, Sorry! Oh yeah, BTW I'm a staunch Republican!"

What a bunch of crap! Somebody should be checking to see if he makes any big purchases beyond his means in the next few months.

[Herkdrvr]

27. I'm not suprised...

You don't have to have thousands of hours to be a CFI on a Cessna 150. All you need is 150 hours, a commercial ticket, and pass the CFI practical and written. Most CFIs I know have about 200-300 hours when they start instructing...hardly "experienced".

Heck, I know C-130 pilots who got lost flying VFR before...and those guys had thousands of hours flying complex 4-engined turboprops. It's just a matter of knowing and understanding the charts, plus being familiar with the ground references is a start.

[DulceDecorum]

29. The older pilot was NOT an instructor

As you can see from the Medical Certificate date on this airman's FAA record,
this data is fairly current.

Name : SHEAFFER JR, HAYDEN LOWERY
Airman's Address : XXXX XXXXXXX XX
LITITZ, PA, 17543-9702
FAA Region : Eastern
Date of Medical : Jun, 2003
Class of Medical : 3
Expiration of Class 3 privileges : Jun, 2005
Airman Certificates : Private Pilot
Airplane Single Engine Land

There is NO REASON WHATSOEVER
to assume that this man was qualified as an instructor.

[Double T]

3. Over Reaction To This Situation; It Has Happen Many Times......

In Recent Years Without The Overdone Drama.

[Wilber_Stool]

4. It's a good thing they

weren't wearing Kerry tee shirts.

[hippiechick]

5. It's also a good thing

... they weren't 'tan' with beards.

[bonzotex]

9. bet you a cold one they were repukes...

I wonder if anyone in the press will bother to look into these guy's backgrounds?

[BR_Parkway]

15. Wasn't there a story yesterday that the plane had (R) KY govenor?

what happened with that?

[underpants]

16. No that was a mistaken reading dating from Reagan's funeral last year

Several people made that mistake. It was mentioned at the end of the AP story on this yesterday and it sort of seemed like the same thing had happened again-it was just awkwardly written.

[DulceDecorum]

20. More to the story.

The plane is registered with FAA as a US civil aircraft.
It is owned and operated by the VINTAGE AERO CLUB, of 311 Airport Dr, Smoketown, in Lancaster County of Pennsylvania.

A car has to maintain its registration if it it to be legally driving on the roads. Planes have to do the same. There is a document that must be renewed every three years or else the registration lapses. Now you know that if you get pulled over with an expired car registration, you are going to be in trouble for sure.
Well, guess what.
The last contact between the FAA and the owners/operators of this Cessna occurred on March 18, 2003.
The Triennial Aircraft Registration form was mailed and has not been returned by the Post Office.
Yet these men were allowed to go free,
not too many questions asked.

One other thing that is interesting is this.
The plane was first registered by the current owners on March 27, 1997.
That in itself is not extraordinary, but the repeated violations from planes out of that area, are, at the very least, unusual.

EDT July 12, 2004
LANCASTER, Pa. -- During President George W. Bush's visit Friday, a pilot passed through restricted airspace, and then found himself in handcuffs.
http://www.thewgalchannel.com/news/3521585/detail.html

(Attempts to locate Vintage Aero Club seem to result in accessing what appears to be a completely different company.
http://www.airnav.com/airport/S37/GLICK
Please do NOT read too much into this, as the research is not complete and we have all dialed "wrong numbers" every so often.)

It has a Mode S transponder which must have been added fairly recently because the plane did not have one when it was first built, over a quarter century ago. I am currently under the impression -- and please correct me if I am wrong -- that small planes such as this one are not required to have a Mode S transponder. Which makes the upgrade, in such an elderly aircraft, almost redundant.
According to NTSB records, it has also had one major accident.

NTSB Identification: NYC79FHD17
14 CFR Part 91 General Aviation
Event occurred Sunday, June 24, 1979 in COATESVILLE, PA
Aircraft: CESSNA 150, registration: N5826G
COLLIDED WITH: TREES
DAMAGE-SUBSTANTIAL

The Cessna 150 is:

A high wing training aircraft with a maximum occupant capacity of approximately 300 lbs. Normally only used for dual instruction and single pilot practice. Generally too cramped and underpowered to provide an optimum training environment. While it appears to be among the most economical aircraft, the lack of power, comfort, and speed increase the training time required.
http://webpages.cwia.com/~lrn2fly/150.htm

Which means that the fellows sitting inside it were probably built like professional swimmers as opposed to the average guy.
Inital attempts to pull up their airman records have not generated any information on either man, but the day is young.

We are loyal and patriotic Democrats
and are therefore highly interested and concerned
about the health and welfare of the White House.

[bonzotex]

25. awesome

Thank you for the research. Occam's razor says this is probably just a case of bad airmanship, but still....

And yes the "Instructor" is a Republican. So classic.

[Herkdrvr]

26. A few things on the C150

The fact that their airplane may or may not have been properly registered with the FAA would not result in either of them being arrested. Instead, civil penalties in the form of fines and revoking the aircraft's certificate could be issued, along with other punitive actions against the airmen themselves.

As for "not too many questions asked"...I doubt that was the case. It wasn't like they were led away from the airplane in cuffs, taken 25 feet, then released. They were likely interrogated, and who knows if the registration issue was brought up (or if that issue was resolved...FAA databases available to the public are notorious for not having up-to-date information).

The "Vintage Aero Club" is a private club consisting of 10 members, all of whom own a share in the airplane. This is common among airplane owners as a way to share the costs of paying for, maintaining and operating an airplane on a budget. It is not a company operating under FAR 135, 141, 61, or 121. It is a private entity operating under FAR 91.

I doubt that airplane has a Mode S transponder. Mode S is used for TCAS equipped aircraft, and designed to interrogate other Mode S equipped airplanes for traffic resolution. Since a TCAS system would cost substantially more than that airplane is worth, I doubt it's got one. Even the cheaper TCAD still costs about as much as the Cessna 150 is worth. I think you're talking about a Mode C altitude encoding transponder, which most airplanes have.

Mode S is certainly NOT required on any aircraft except turbojet-powered aircraft. Mode C is only required if you plan on flying through Class B TCA airspace. All other airspace except Class A PCA airspace only requires a Mode 3 transponder or, in uncontrolled airspace (class G), no transponder at all.

The fact this particular airplane had sustained damage in an accident in 1979 probably has no bearing on the whole issue. It's an old airplane, and most aircraft that have been around the block or two (and used for training as most Cessna 150s are) have been bent at one time or another. Plus the initial registration of the airplane for Vintage Aero Club was in 1997.

You don't have to have a particular body type to fly a Cessna 150. I've flown them many times and I am NOT built like a swimmer, by any stretch of the imagination. And I would disagree with the notion that it does not provide an optimal training environment. All experienced pilots love more power, because it's better to have too much than not enough. But if all you're doing is practicing landings and basic manuevers, you aren't too worried about lifting your passengers off a high-altitude runway, or making it over that ridgeline, etc. The fact it is a low-power airplane makes it a very docile aircraft, very easy to fly. I fly those things now and it's so simple and easy. More power just makes it more intimidating to new students.

[DulceDecorum]

28. Most US planes that are hitting the news these days

do not seem to be properly registered with the FAA.

N4610 is an excelllent case in point.
It showed up involved in an attempted coup against the president of oil-rich Equatorial Guinea. The State Department adamantly and repeatedly disavowed all knowledge of this mission and insisted that the plane was NOT a US plane. The FAA records said otherwise.
Then it turned out that the former Air Nationa Guard plane 83-4610 has been "sold" to a company that is a known CIA front.
That simple fact explained why the FAA had not pulled the registration for that plane after it defaulted on its registration obligations.

The Cessna later landed at a small airport in Frederick, Md., where officials said the pilot reported his radio was not working.
Police said the club had not authorized the pilot to use the Cessna.
<snip>
Washington’s Reagan National Airport has been closed to general aviation since the Sept. 11 attacks. In the 3½ years since then, hundreds of small planes have flown within the restricted airspace around the capital — a 15¾-mile radius around the Washington Monument.
However, it’s rare for fighter jets to be scrambled.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/ID/7817210/

You say thay these gentlemen were probably interrogated. I think not.
There were not striped naked nor were they intimdated by dogs nor were any electrical devices attached to any part of their bodies. I think they were simply hugged and petted and shown a lot of love.
IOKIYR.

:grouphug:

I agree that a privately owned Cessna would probably only ever need a Mode C transponder, however, the transponder number given by the FAA is 51700207. According to the FAA database, that is the Mode S Code.

Q: 2. How much weight can a Cessna 150-152 carry?
A:The Short Answer: Between 400 and 500 pounds.
The Longer Answer: .....Subtract that from the useful load, and now we have 344 lbs available as "payload". The FAA considers that the average person weighs 170lbs, so that leaves room for exactly two average persons.
Of course in the modern world, many of us weigh more than 170lbs. For a solo pilot, this won't be a problem unless he or she weighs more than 344 lbs. If that's the case, he or she likely won't be able to fit in the airplane in the first place, so we can stop worrying about that. ....
Of course in the modern world, many of us weigh more than 170lbs. For a solo pilot, this won't be a problem unless he or she weighs more than 344 lbs. If that's the case, he or she likely won't be able to fit in the airplane in the first place, so we can stop worrying about that. The baggage area on most 150-152's can hold up to 120 lbs, which turns out to be really a lot of stuff. The baggage area is quite large on these airplanes ( big enough to hold an extra seat with a child weighing up to 110 lbs! ) For regular baggage ( clothes, snacks, etc) there is both enough room and weight capacity for a solo pilot unless you happen to be traveling with your bowling ball collection.
The problem arises when we add a passenger. Let's assume that we have a typical couple, a female pilot weighing 130 lbs, and her male passenger weighing 190 lbs. Since their combined weight is 320 lbs, each would be able to bring along a suitcase weighing up to 11 lbs. If the people weigh more than that, or they need to carry more baggage, the only option is to carry less fuel. With full fuel the airplane can safely fly for about 3 hours*.
*fuel endurance is highly dependant on both pilot technique and environmental conditions. The figures quoted are averages, and not to be used for flight planning. Your mileage will vary.
http://www.cessna150-152.com/faqs/performance.htm

From what I have seen so far,
each of those men appears to be over 170 pounds.
We have been told that the qualified one needed assistance in operating the fuel pump and we have been informed that it was the student who was doing the actual flying. We are further told that the men insisted on flying THROUGH the restricted airspace.
That means these boys were really well, clueless. and were risking running out of fuel.

Thursday, May 12, 2005 - Page updated at 12:00 a.m.
Authorities said the plane's occupants were so clueless that when officials finally made radio contact and ordered the plane to divert, the fliers refused, asserting their right to proceed on their way.
It was only when the F-16s fired four bright flares across the plane's nose that the two men realized the gravity of their situation, officials said. The plane then veered northwest, out of town, escorted by the interceptors, security helicopters and a U.S. Customs jet.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002271787_capital12.html

The men had departed at 10:58 a.m. from the small airport at Smoketown, about 12 miles from their homes in the middle of Lancaster County farm country.
Twenty-five minutes later, an FAA air traffic controller monitoring airspace around Baltimore noticed a small aircraft 45 miles north of the Capitol heading straight for Washington's restricted airspace.
The pilot was not in contact with controllers as required for private recreational fliers. FAA controllers immediately alerted agencies on the Domestic Events Network, a special communications system used to notify all agencies that protect the capital's airspace.
At 11:28 a.m., trackers spotted the southbound aircraft entering the Air Defense Identification Zone, the 2,000-square-mile area around Washington that requires private planes to remain in radio contact with controllers. The plane entered the zone from an area 30 miles north of Reagan National Airport, but its radio was not tuned to the proper frequency.
Shortly after 11:30, the Cessna turned east toward Baltimore, then moments later turned south. At 11:47, the Customs and Border Protection agency scrambled a Black Hawk helicopter and Citation jet from Reagan National Airport to intercept the plane. Authorities said the Black Hawk reached the Cessna first, at 11:56, followed by the Citation minutes later. Neither could get the Cessna's attention.
As the Cessna closed in, flying at 2,500 feet, alert levels started to jump across the city. At 12:03 p.m., the White House went to code red, with the aircraft within three miles.
The customs aircraft, meanwhile, had been frantically trying to get the Cessna's attention. The crews of one or both aircraft held up a sign in their cockpits bearing the radio frequency the Cessna should tune to, officials said. Those on the small plane apparently saw the sign, made radio contact, but refused at first to turn back, officials said.
"No," the federal pilots ordered, "this is federal law enforcement. You will land that aircraft." Finally, at 12:06 p.m., flying over Northwest Washington, the Air Force fighters arrived, fired warning flares, and the Cessna flyers realized that they were in trouble.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/argus/news/ci_2729820

The Cessna later landed at a small airport in Frederick, Md., where officials said the pilot reported his radio was not working. He was said to have gotten to within three miles of the White House.
MSNBC

If the radio wan't working
and these guys took off regardless,
how did they manage to make contact with the radio?

One other thing that stands out is that military fighter jets were scrambled -- as they should have been
WHILE THE POPULACE WAS ORDERED OUTSIDE.

Outside, sirens wailed and the sound of the jets could be heard overhead. "It was relatively orderly," said one Senate worker who fled the Capitol. "But there's still panic, there's always panic. You start to run faster than you think you can run."
Officials said 35,000 people were evacuated from the Capitol and adjacent office complexes. An additional 200 were evacuated from the White House.
<snip>
White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the government has very specific rules on when an intruding civilian aircraft can be shot down. Pentagon officials said Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was contacted and available to execute a shoot-down order if necessary.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/argus/news/ci_2729820

The State Department was an exception. The building was not evacuated even though officials knew about the threat, and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice conducted a television interview unaware of the plane.
http://cbs11tv.com/localnews/topstories_story_131122135.html

May 11, 2005
Q And then, finally, the pictures -- more generally, these pictures of somewhat frantic evacuations of the heart of the American government are being broadcast all around the world. Is it fair to say that, really without doing anything here, there's been an achievement by terrorists to demonstrate to the world that this country and capital can be rattled by a Cessna that --
<snip>
Q Scott, concerning threat levels, former Secretary Ridge yesterday indicated there might have been some ongoing --
MR. McCLELLAN: Can we stay on this current situation, and then I'll be glad to come back to your question? Does anybody else have any questions on this current situation? Go ahead.
Q Scott, why did the -- why didn't the internal emergency notification system go off here in the White House?
MR. McCLELLAN: I think that there were -- there was a notification system that was going off.
Q No, it wasn't.
<snip>
Q The Secret Service did not alert people in the basement of the press room that there was a problem. The sound system did not go off. How can you be confident that protocols were followed, when clearly here we know they were not? Were others -- were all staffers in the White House alerted about this problem and evacuated by the Secret Service?
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/05/20050511-1.html

May 12, 2005
Q And wasn't there a possibility that a plane headed for the White House, that this was the leading edge of some broader attack, isn't the President concerned that maybe he should have been alerted to the fact that this could have been the beginning of a general attack?
MR. McCLELLAN: That was not the case, and I think the Department of Defense yesterday indicated that they didn't sense any hostile intent on the part of the plane, so again --
Q How did they know -- how did they know this plane wasn't laden with WMD or some other type of weapons like that? Did they get reassurances from the pilot? Or how did they know that?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, again, if you want to give me a chance to respond, I'll be glad to. The protocols were followed. This situation, as you're well aware, turned out to be an accident. The Department of Defense pointed out yesterday that they didn't sense any hostile intent on the part of the plane. There were fighter jets scrambled. There was a Blackhawk helicopter scrambled, as well, to get in contact with the plane. Once the flare was fired and the warning was sent to the plane, the plane realized -- the pilot realized that they were in the wrong place and turned away. And the plane was escorted safely to the ground where the pilots were questioned. And it was determined that they were just in the wrong place and it shouldn't have been that way.
Q So if it was assessed that there was no hostile intent on the part of this aircraft, can you tell us why 30,000 people -- 35,000 people were told to run for their lives?
MR. McCLELLAN: Because of the protocols that are in place, John. We want to make sure that the people in the area of the threat are protected. After --
Q But what was the threat? You just said there was no threat.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/05/20050512-2.html

I wonder what they are trying to sell us .....

Published: May 13, 2005
The incident, federal officials said, demonstrates the need to communicate better with pilots who accidentally violate the air space rules, an effort that is already under way. In Washington, Norad will begin using a system of laser beacons in 10 days that they can point at offending aircraft to get the pilots' attention and warn them away.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/13/national/13plane.html?

Great.
Just great.
Because the place you MOST want to be
when a military plane gets into a dog fight
is DIRECTLY BELOW the action.

Great for the movies.
Great for PR.
Lousy for those of us who live in reality.
Whoever is making those lasers sure has a LOT of pull.

[KoKo]

6. I find this so odd. Why would the Capitol have to be emptied over this?

And, it's the third incident in two months. Instead of "color coded terror alerts" we now have "invasion of DC Airpace alerts?" And, this one happened on the 11th of the month?

Too much coincidence. And, with the Bushies in power we've learned that nothing happens in DC that's just coincidence. :tinfoilhat:

Is it the "good guys" doing this...or the "bad guys?"

[Demeter]

7. A Combination of Paranoia and Purpose

I smell a rat. Something is planned to make the chimp look like a hero, and those in the know don't know when.

[bonzotex]

8. sure was a convenient distraction

I'm a pilot, this sort of mistake is stupid but happens quite a bit in less sensitive airspace. Even experienced pilots can get distracted, however, something about this stinks. Washington DC is a nightmare maze of restricted airspace. Any pilot, especially an instructor, would have sat down beforehand and planned a route that kept himself out of trouble.
This guy didn't and he grossly violated the established procedures. I could go on and on about the two dozen or so standard flight planning and en route procedures that most pilots follow every day and manage never to cause a problem. The proper and standard response from the FAA would be a fine and possible suspension of his license.
It just seems oddly coincidental that this incident and the subsequent comic overreaction ate up an entire day's news cycle at a time when there are a whole raft of Bush and Republican negative stories washing up. Same thing with the odd "grenade" in Georgia story.
This might be just more Media obsession with the trivial. It might just be one dumb ass pilot getting confused. Or, how much would it cost to get a funds starved and sympathetic low grade pilot to "accidentally" stray into restricted airspace? Not much I bet. If there is anyone resembling an investigative reporter left in Washington, this story should get some follow up.

[screembloodymurder]

22. This is not the first Lancaster pilot to make the news

During the Reagan years a pilot out of Lancaster was arrested smuggling arms. ISC was a CIA front used for the same purpose. I would not discount a possible connection.

[EarlG]

11. There are "hundreds of incursions per year"

...according to this April 15 article which Demgirl posted yesterday:

"Incursions into the restricted airspace are common. NORAD officials said there are typically two or three incursions a day."

http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/04/15/laser.warn/

[underpants]

14. Well, you know...they could have chosen this one as a test

top see how the system (all of the systems) would work.

Just playing devil's advocate here.


I am sure that Bush is very concerned and a thurough review will take place and any mistakes that may have been made by any party involved will be released to the media and there will be full accountability.

Ah back to normal now.

[KoKo]

21. Pilot was a Repug.......here's link to the article...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1465912

[notadmblnd]

13. I wouldn't be surprised if they cut him a check and patted him on the back

for a job well done. What was it that we wern't supposed to be paying attention to yesterday. The story finally breaking in MSM about the UK memo and Boltons sexual escapades. Nevermind, lets get back to the fake terror alerts.

[havocmom]

17. Faulty vests? Halliburton bonuses? Cheney's secrecy protected?

Bolton 'dog ate my homework on NPT'?

Bolton's ex-wife and why she's an ex?

Tom Ridge on terror alerts going higher (despite the lack of evidence) when the WH was getting bad press?

How about: Not so subtle message to a Congress wavering from WH game plans that 'Next time, we might not stop the pilot... again.'

[indepat]

18. Hopefully the decision to assess civil penalties or not won't hinge of the

politics of the pilots. No, that would never be the case.

[Javaman]

19. I believe not a word of this report...

Yeah, call me a tinfoil hat wearer anytime, but IMO, this reeks of complete set up rove stunt. These guys were a couple of fed employees hired to do this, period. It was all to convenient and wrapped to tight as a story.

Why weren't they "shot down"? Why weren't they questioned?

Two reasons, they worked for the CIA or one of the other alphabet agencies and they are white. If these guys had been of brown or dark complexion, these would have been dissapeared.

Nothing more than a distraction from bolton, the British memo and just about any other thing that moron* has his fucked up finger in.

Keep walking, nothing to see here.

[bunny planet]

30. I don't see a tinfoil hat anywhere. Your version sounds like the real deal

to me too. Way too convenient an episode, also His Fraudulency's bike ride and not being informed until after the fact, the press being managed after the fact. Television cameras set up with all the best angles exactly when the 'spontaneous' event takes place.

The whole thing stinks. Even the softball WH press corp was making little Scotty McClellan sweat today asking embarassing questions.

Just in case.:tinfoilhat: