According to local media sources, an aircraft carrying US military skydivers caused a false alarm at the US Capitol, triggering an evacuation of the building. On Wednesday evening, the US Capitol Police misidentified a military aircraft as a ‘possible danger’. The plane was actually transporting the US Army’s Golden Knights demonstration squad, who were parachuting into a nearby Washington Nationals game.
The US Capitol Police were apparently not alerted. According to CNN, the email subject line of a Capitol Police notice released just after 6.30 p.m. stated, ‘Evacuate Now: Aircraft Intrusion’. ‘The USCP is tracking an aircraft that may represent a threat to the Capitol Complex,’ the email started, before outlining instructions for personnel at various points within the complex. The Capitol Police arrived around 20 minutes later and discovered that there was no threat at all.
‘The Capitol was evacuated this evening owing to an excess of caution. There is no threat in the Capitol’, according to the department’s tweet. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi blasted the FAA for the apparent miscalculation, accusing them of ‘causing unnecessary anxiety’.’ The apparent failure of the Federal Aviation Administration to warn Capitol Police of the pre-planned flyover Nationals Stadium is abhorrent and inexcusable,’ Pelosi said in a statement.
‘The unnecessary alarm prompted by this apparent neglect was especially devastating for Members, employees, and institutional workers who were still dealing with the trauma of the January 6th attack on their workplace,’ the top House Democrat continued. The House Speaker went on to say that Congress will make FAA officials ‘accountable’ for the communication breakdown. The false alert surprised some senators and guests present at the complex, as the horror of Capitol rioting and the 9/11 attacks were still fresh in everyone’s minds.
‘We just went through a very scary 15 minutes, but we are glad that everyone is alive,’ stated Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez on Twitter. CNN’s congressional journalist Ryan Nobles claimed he was among those evacuated and that ‘it was quite hectic for a good 15 minutes. The alarms were loud and strong, and Capitol Police were not taking any chances in getting everyone out,’ he said on Twitter.
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