Three Small Planes Intrude Into Camp David Airspace

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, July 01, 2002

Three Small Planes Intrude Into Camp David Airspace

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At least three small airplanes inadvertently intruded into the restricted airspace over the U.S. presidential retreat of Camp David over the weekend, local media quoted the Secret Service as saying Sunday.

Secret Service agents questioned the pilots of all the three planes, but took no action against them because the incidents were caused by navigation mistakes. The cases were referred to the Federal Aviation Administration for possible administrative action.

Secret Service spokesman Jim Mackin said a fourth plane, an ultralight airplane, was possibly involved in an intrusion over Camp David in Maryland on Saturday, but was not located after it left the area.

It was estimated that at least two dozen incidents have occurred around Camp David and Washington since September 11, but most of them have gone unreported.

One of the incidents, in which fighter jets scrambled, took place at 9:50 a.m. (13:50 GMT) Saturday, less than three hours after President George W. Bush underwent a routine colon screening.

A Federal Aviation Administration spokesman said the Beech A-23aircraft was intercepted and escorted by F-16s to Winchester Regional Airport just south of Camp David.

The pilot and passengers were questioned at the airport by Secret Service agents and allowed to continue its flight, FAA spokesman Hank Price said. An official at Winchester Regional Airport said the pilot was thrown off course by cloud cover.

This is the second time in two weeks that a small aircraft was escorted by F-16s.

The White House was briefly evacuated for 15 minutes on June 19 after a single-engine Cessna 182 plane flew into the restricted airspace over Washington. Two F-16s escorted the plane to the Richmond International Airport, about 160 kilometers south of the U.S. capital.

Investigators found that the pilot had changed course to avoid bad weather. He was allowed to resume his flight later.

On Sunday morning, another single-engine Cessna flew into the restricted space around Camp David, but no jets scrambled and the pilot was questioned after the plane landed at a nearby airport.

Jets scrambled in an incident Saturday afternoon that involved one, or possibly two, ultralights, but no planes were visible by the time the jets reached Camp David. Mackin of the Secret Servicesaid the case was under investigation.

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