Americké stíhačky museli zasahovať proti lietadlu letiacemu blízko Bieleho domu

Washington 10. novembra (TASR) - Stíhačky amerického letectva dnes museli zasahovať proti súkromnému lietadlu, ktoré sa priblížilo do nepovolenej vzdialenosti od Bieleho domu.

Prezident George W. Bush bol v tom čase mimo Washingtonu, na ceste v štátoch Arkansas a Južná Karolína. Na bezpečné miesto museli odviesť viceprezidenta Dicka Cheneyho a tajomníka Bieleho domu Andrewa Carda. Krátko nato sa však už opäť mohli plne venovať svojim povinnostiam.

Súkromné lietadlo letelo juhozápadným smerom, keď sa dostalo do vyhradeného vzdušného priestoru okolo prezidentského sídla. Z leteckej základne Andrews v Marylande museli byť vyslané stíhačky, ktoré stroj eskortovali mimo tejto oblasti.

Ako uviedol major Douglas Martin, predstaviteľ Severoamerického velenia vzdušnej obrany (NORAD), napokon sa zistilo, že lietadlo nepredstavovalo hrozbu.
Copyright © TASR 2003




Errant small plane causes White House security scare
WASHINGTON, Nov 10 (Reuters) - A small plane violated restricted airspace around Washington on Monday, causing a brief security alert at the White House before military jets intercepted it and steered it away, the U.S. Secret Service said.
President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush were not present during the scare, which prompted armed guards to take up positions on the White House lawn.
Vice President Dick Cheney and White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card were moved temporarily to a secure location as a precaution, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. Secret Service spokesman Tom Mazur told Reuters the plane violated restricted airspace around 11:15 a.m. EST (1615 GMT) and was diverted by military fighter jets scrambled to respond to the security breach.
Mazur said Secret Service agents were interviewing the pilot, who ultimately landed in Siler City, North Carolina. It was not yet clear why he flew into the restricted zone, he said.
The Federal Aviation Administration identified the aircraft as a single-engine, four-seat Mooney 20. The FAA referred additional questions to the Secret Service.
There are two flight security rings around Washington that were imposed after the Sept. 11, 2001, hijack attacks on New York and Washington.
The first permits small aircraft to fly within 23 miles (37 km) of the capital if the pilot has prior approval from air traffic controllers and if the aircraft is equipped with updated electronic identification equipment.
The second zone prohibits any aircraft from within a 17-mile (27-km) radius of downtown Washington unless it is a scheduled airline service or a military, law enforcement or pre-approved medical flight.
In Monday's incident, government sources said the private plane flying from north to south was identified immediately after violating the outer restricted area.
In Colorado Springs, Colorado, a spokesman for the military's North American Aerospace Defense Command said two F-16 fighter jets were scrambled from Andrews Air Force Base near Washington and escorted the plane -- apparently en route to Florida -- out of the prohibited zone.
One government source said the plane ventured into the inner security ring and was diverted about 10 miles (16 km) from downtown Washington. There was nothing erratic about the flight pattern and the pilot followed directions, the source said. The landing site was not disclosed.
"The fighters were right on his wings," the official said. Flight restrictions around Washington, which ban general aviation operations at Washington's Ronald Reagan National Airport, have had a severe effect on several regional airports and small aviation businesses.
The outer ring has been violated more than 600 times since it was imposed last February and the inside restriction has been breached far less often, the FAA said.