2 pilots freed after Washington terrorism scare

[Arch_Angel]

WASHINGTON - A student pilot and his instructor were released without charges late Wednesday after causing thousands of people to be evacuated from the White House and the Capitol building in a terrorism scare earlier in the day.
Read Full Article: http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2005/05/12/white-house-pilot12.html

I know this is late, (happened yesterday and was all over the news) but I'm not getting a good story from the news on why this blundering pilot and a student, went into a plane and decided to fly to an air-show by site, with a broken radio.

And more to what i don't understand, is that they didn't turn off-course until the fighter jets sent out flares, which was thier last signal. I mean, if they didn't respond then, they would have been shot down. If you were a pilot and saw 2 fighter jets on each side of your plane, with a Blackhawk helicopter trying to navigate you, wouldn't you follow what they wanted you to do? Or would you think they came by just to say Hi? :rolleyes:

[foxybrown]

Dem a eediat!!! They could have shot down their plane, why didn't they respond?

[Manu]

LOL....I find it hard to believe that the Air Force would shoot down a Cesna like that. I doubt there're that trigger happy. If it was a learjet(G4).....lol....woulda probably end up like that airline over Bush Private Residence during 9-11....you know...that one where the passengers were heroic in fighting off the attackers and crashed the plane in Pennsylvannia....lol....that bird got clipped!

[Arch_Angel]

LOL....I find it hard to believe that the Air Force would shoot down a Cesna like that. I doubt there're that trigger happy. If it was a learjet(G4).....lol....woulda probably end up like that airline over Bush Private Residence during 9-11....you know...that one where the passengers were heroic in fighting off the attackers and crashed the plane in Pennsylvannia....lol....that bird got clipped!
LoL. You don't seem to understand.

So you think they would leave the plane to fly where it wanted to go towards the white house?

Don't you think they will shoot anyone who gets pass security and tries to get inside the white house? So why you think they won't shoot down a plane?

Come on dude. It won't be the air force's call whether to shoot down the plane or not. It would have to come from an authorized personel. CNN had listed about 6 persons who has permission to give that order.

9/11 has changed things. And they won't make the same mistake.

[Manu]

But geez....I know they could've but they didn't...because it's a cesna.....how fast can that thing go before they would HAVE to take it down. Thats what i meant. They can have 3 fighter jets by its side in about 2 mins. Then can they can accurately access the situation. If it was a learjet...that was fast...and time was an issue....then they might probably have to have shot it down......you get my point?

[Arch_Angel]

But geez....I know they could've but they didn't...because it's a cesna.....how fast can that thing go before they would HAVE to take it down. Thats what i meant. They can have 3 fighter jets by its side in about 2 mins. Then can they can accurately access the situation. If it was a learjet...that was fast...and time was an issue....then they might probably have to have shot it down......you get my point?
No I don't get your point. They didn't shoot it down, just because it was a cesna. They didn't because the pilots in the cesna turned the plane away from thier flight path towards the white house. As the news reported, the flares were the last warning to the pilots. If they didn't respond and continued in the flight path, they WERE going to be shot down.

If they didn't shoot it down just because it was a cesna, I'm sure the terrorists will take a cesna next time round, load it with explosives and head towards the white house.

[Manu]

Ok....you win. LOL....would've been sad if they had shot it down. Then what would they have said? An attempted terrorist attack? Surley wouldn't sit well with the public if it were civilians!