WASHINGTON – Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld gave military officials the authority to shoot down, if necessary, a small plane that wandered into restricted airspace over the nation’s capital May 11, according to two senior federal officials.
For 11 intense minutes, customs aircraft and military fighter jets tried to intercept the Cessna 150 and determine whether the pilots were confused and lost or were targeting Washington. Military officials never deemed the aircraft to be hostile, but White House and U.S. Capitol officials grew more concerned as it flew within three miles of the executive mansion.
The plane, one of the federal officials said, came within “15 to 20 seconds” of being downed before its pilots finally heeded repeated orders to turn away from the city.
The new details came as U.S. military and Homeland Security officials reviewed the effectiveness of the air defense system established for the Washington area after the 2001 terrorist attacks. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because much of the air defense system is classified.
The scare was described by some officials as the closest the government has come to downing a civilian plane over Washington since Sept. 11, 2001.
Against a light aircraft moving at a relatively slow 100 mph, with two evidently confused pilots, authorities were able to order the evacuation of the White House and Capitol complex only two to three minutes before the plane would have reached either of those targets. Outside analysts said it remains unknown what might happen against a larger, faster aircraft trying to evade defenders.
FAA officials have issued an emergency order revoking the pilot’s license of Hayden “Jim” Sheaffer, 69, saying he became lost soon after leaving a Pennsylvania airport, entered restricted airspace and showed “an utter disregard for or a complete lack of understanding of basic requirements for the safe operation of aircraft.”
Although Troy Martin, 36, was at the Cessna’s controls, the FAA held Sheaffer responsible because Martin is an inexperienced student pilot.
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