A pregame demonstration involving parachuters at Nationals Park caused a brief evacuation of the U.S. Capitol building on April 10, 2019. The event led to an investigation by the Secret Service and was not linked to terrorism but instead due to human error
The “d.c. evacuation today” is a story about the U.S. Capitol being evacuated due to a demonstration involving parachuters at Nationals Park.
WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Capitol was briefly evacuated Wednesday evening after police identified an aircraft as posing a “possible threat” — but the plane was actually carrying members of the United States Army Golden Knights, who then parachuted into the Washington Nationals’ baseball stadium for a pregame demonstration.
The Washington Nationals are playing the Arizona Diamondbacks at Nationals Park, which is less than a mile from the United States Capitol.
Around 6:30 p.m., the US Capitol Police issued a warning, sending congressional personnel from the Capitol and legislative complex.
Eireann Dolan, the wife of Nationals pitcher Sean Doolittle, was one among many who saw the mayhem at the Capitol.
Dolan tweeted, “I was walking the dogs by the Dirksen Senate Office Building.” “All of a sudden, people began pouring out.” They instructed me to turn back and flee as quickly as possible. Some folks seemed to be calm, while many others appeared to be terrified. “I was certain I was.”
Two individuals familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that investigators were still trying to figure out why the event wasn’t properly coordinated with law enforcement authorities in Washington. As the jet flew above, officials from several government agencies started scurrying.
The United States Capitol was briefly evacuated Wednesday evening due to a jet transporting members of the United States Army Golden Knights for a pregame display at Nationals Park. Alex Brandon/AP Photo
Several surface-to-air missile installations, as well as military aircrews on round-the-clock alert, protect the capital area. None of those systems seemed to have been tampered with.
Officials suspect the pilot may not have properly reported taking off or had necessary approval, according to the sources who spoke to The Associated Press.
In a statement released Wednesday night, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi slammed the Federal Aviation Administration, saying the agency’s “apparent failure to alert Capitol Police about the pre-planned flyover Nationals Stadium is unacceptable and unforgivable.” A request for comment from the FAA was not returned.
“Congress looks forward to studying the findings of a comprehensive after-action assessment that reveals exactly what went wrong today and who at the Federal Aviation Administration will be held responsible for this terrible and terrifying error,” Pelosi said.
When the alarm was transmitted, the aircraft, a twin-engine jet, had taken off from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland and was circling within severely restricted airspace near the Capitol. The aircraft, a De Havilland Twin Otter, stayed clear of the banned area above the Capitol building and other government structures at all times, according to radar monitoring data. The Army jet can be heard coordinating its flight with the control tower at neighboring Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on air traffic control records.
After the parachutists down into the center of the field at Nationals Park, the aircraft returned to Andrews at 6:50 p.m.
The Capitol complex’s buildings reopened just after 8 p.m.
This story contains information from The Associated Press.
A brief evacuation of the U.S. Capitol occurred on Thursday, when a pre-game demonstration involving parachuters at Nationals Park caused an alarm to go off in the building. Reference: which of the following is not a characteristic of a person who has a.
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