U.S. Capitol Police say an 'extremely unusual' oversight triggered Capitol evacuation
ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
The evacuation of the Capitol complex for an air threat is now the subject of a federal investigation. Yesterday, Capitol Police, believing an unauthorized single-engine airplane had flown into restricted airspace, triggered alarms for people to immediately leave the grounds. The plane was actually an approved flight carrying members of the U.S. Army's Golden Knights Parachute Team to perform at a Washington Nationals baseball game. Capitol Police say someone forgot to tell them, and now the Federal Aviation Administration is in hot water. NPR congressional reporter Claudia Grisales is covering the story. Hi, Claudia.
CLAUDIA GRISALES, BYLINE: Hey, Ari.
SHAPIRO: How did the evacuation itself play out?
GRISALES: Around 6:30 p.m. local time Wednesday, Capitol Police triggered audible alarms and alerted the Capitol community that it was tracking an aircraft that posed a probable threat, and they had to leave immediately. They had spotted a single-engine airplane nearby. And as far as Capitol Police were concerned, it was not authorized to be in this restricted airspace so close to the Capitol. But this flight was, in fact, approved by federal officials, and yet Capitol Police were left out of the loop. So they were scrambling for several minutes until close to 7 p.m. when they learned about this miscommunication. The evacuation came while Congress was in recess. So while many of its members and staffers were away, it still has raised alarms for federal law enforcement officials and members of Congress.
SHAPIRO: So a sudden panic followed by a quick U-turn. What are Capitol Police saying about how this happened?
GRISALES: Right. They issued a statement today that the split-second decision was the result of an extremely unusual oversight. Of course, we've learned this plane was carrying members of the Army's Golden Knights Parachute Team. They were performing a demo for military appreciation night at Nationals Park, which is about a mile away. The Capitol Police say they learn of hundreds of authorized flights in this area a week. And the last time they had to evacuate for an air threat was in 2014. And that was also not a security breach, per se, but the result of a pilot who was flying a small plane that accidentally crossed into the airspace.
SHAPIRO: OK. Now, as you mentioned, most lawmakers were not there. Congress was not in session. But still, it's a serious failure of normal security protocols. And so what are members saying about how they plan to respond?
GRISALES: Right. It's clear that some are furious. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a scathing statement saying the Federal Aviation Administration has got to get to the bottom of this. She said the FAA's apparent failure to notify Capitol Police of this flyover was, quote, "outrageous and inexcusable." She also said it triggered unnecessary panic for this community still reeling from the trauma of the January 6 attack on the Capitol last year. So she's saying Congress is looking forward to the results of an after-action review to determine precisely what went wrong and who at the FAA will be held accountable for what she called a frightening mistake.
SHAPIRO: And then what is the FAA saying about it?
GRISALES: So the FAA say they have taken their role in the past and currently they take it very seriously when it comes to protecting the national airspace. And they'll conduct a thorough and expeditious review to keep the public posted on their findings. They said they know their actions impact others and especially in the capital region, and they know they have to communicate early and often with law enforcement partners.
SHAPIRO: NPR's Claudia Grisales, thanks a lot.
GRISALES: Thank you much.
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