Pregame Nationals Park parachuting demo deemed a threat, ends up evacuating U.S. Capitol
A parachuting display scheduled for last night’s Washington Nationals versus Arizona Diamondbacks game in Washington D.C. went horribly wrong and resulted in the U.S. Capitol Building being evacuated – after the Capitol Police issued a 6:30 p.m. warning stating that they were “tracking an aircraft that poses a probable threat.” That warning was followed by a notice sent to congressional staffers ordering evacuations.
Shortly after issuing orders to evacuate the Capitol, police came back to say that there really was not a threat, and that they wanted the Capitol Building evacuated out of “an abundance of caution.” That tweet came in at 6:48 p.m. prior to the 7:05 p.m. scheduled start of the ball game.
The twin-engine airplane blamed for the possible threat to the Capitol was actually transporting members of the U.S. Army Golden Knights, whose job it was last night to parachute into Nationals Park to provide a spectacular demonstration before the game.
The incident suggested a stunning communications failure between the military and the Capitol Police, all the more remarkable because of Washington’s focus on improving security since the January 6, 2021, attack on the building by supporters of then-President Donald Trump. ~ WINK News
Prior to last night’s faux pax, the plane carrying the parachutists left Maryland’s Joint Base Andrews. One of several problems caused by that plane was that it was flying in circles and in restricted airspace above D.C. and very close to the Capitol Building. It’s unfortunate that the U.S. Army nor the Washington Nationals coordinated the event with air traffic control; and there’s an investigation already underway to find out who is to blame.
Initial blame is being placed on the pilot of the aircraft for not properly reporting the activities associated with the plane’s appearance approaching Nationals Park, which is only about one mile away from the Capitol. The parachutists did successfully glide into the park last night though, with their plane returning to Andrews around 6:50 p.m.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a statement last night regarding the evacuation and laid the blame squarely with the FAA. In her statement, shared by Deadline, Pelosi said:
“Today, and every day, our Congressional community is extraordinarily grateful for the heroism of our United States Capitol Police officers. In ordering the evacuation of the Capitol and vigilantly monitoring for a potential aircraft threat, our officers ensured the safety of all who work in these hallowed halls — and we thank them for their exemplary service.”
“The Federal Aviation Administration’s apparent failure to notify Capitol Police of the pre-planned flyover Nationals Stadium is outrageous and inexcusable. The unnecessary panic caused by this apparent negligence was particularly harmful for Members, staff and institutional workers still grappling with the trauma of the attack on their workplace on January 6th.”
Pelosi’s statement concluded with, “Congress looks forward to reviewing the results of a thorough after-action review that determines what precisely went wrong today and who at the Federal Aviation Administration will be held accountable for this outrageous and frightening mistake.”
As an aside, the Diamondbacks thoroughly trounced the Nats last night with a final score of 11-2. You can check out highlights of the game here.
For more on the U.S. Capitol being evacuated last night in error, see the video accompanying this article.
(Cover Photo, Image credit: Twitter)
~ Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Connect with Richard on Facebook and Twitter
