The exhibition was apparently part of an event of military admiration organized by the Washington Nationals of MLB. Shortly after 6:25 p.m. ET, after releasing tapes to judge the wind, a Golden Knights pilot gave the air traffic control tower at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington their plan to release the paratroopers, including the specific direction they were planning. to fly.
Police in the United States Capitol have apparently not been notified.
“Evacuate Now: Aircraft Invasion” reads the subject of an email from a Capitol police alert issued shortly after 6:30 p.m.
“USCP is tracking a plane that poses a potential threat to the Capitol complex,” the e-mail began, listing instructions for people in various locations around the complex.
Capitol police moved quickly to evacuate the campus, sounding a high-profile alarm in the Capitol and surrounding office buildings. Officers walked door to door in the building to make sure those inside left as quickly as possible.
Outside, sirens sounded in the air as Capitol police chased evacuators and curious tourists from the area. They were all driven past the office buildings on either side of Capitol Square.
In the sky above, the plane in question could be seen slowly circling Washington, while those eagerly awaiting answers watched the paratroopers descend into Nationals Park a few blocks down South Capitol Street.
About 20 minutes later, Capitol police said there was no threat.
“The Capitol was evacuated due to high attention tonight. There is no threat in the Capitol, “the department tweeted. Capitol police later confirmed that all congressional buildings have reopened and “our federal, state and local partners are still working to get more information.”
Kelly LeGaspi, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Army Recruitment Command, said the military was investigating the incident.
“We are reviewing all aspects of the event to ensure that all procedures have been followed in an appropriate way to coordinate both the flight and the parachute demonstration,” Le Gaspi said in a statement. “We will not comment further until we can establish the facts of the situation.
CNN contacted Capitol police, citizens and the Federal Aviation Administration for comment.
In a statement, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi blamed the FAA for the incident.
“The apparent failure of the Federal Aviation Administration to notify Capitol police of the pre-planned overflight at Nationals Stadium is outrageous and unforgivable,” said the California Democrat. “Unnecessary panic caused by this apparent negligence has been particularly detrimental to members, staff and institutional workers who are still battling the trauma of the January 6 workplace attack.”
However, air traffic controllers in Reagan were aware of the Golden Knights flight, according to a recording from liveatc.net.
At 6:21 p.m., an airport tower controller advised a Southwest Airlines flight that “two miles northeast of the National Tower, there is a Golden Knights plane,” and said they were near the stadium.
The southwest pilot replied that they had the plane in sight.
Such security signals in the Capitol occur from time to time. The Capitol was briefly liberated and the White House was temporarily closed when a single-engine plane roamed limited airspace in April 2009.
He was also evacuated in January 2011 when a commercial airliner accidentally entered restricted airspace.
This story has been updated with additional reaction.
CNN’s Brian Rocus and Oren Lieberman contributed to this report.
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