A plane carrying members of the "Golden Knights" parachute group of the United States Army caused the federal Capitol to have to be urgently evacuated on Wednesday afternoon.
Police issued a security alert for an aircraft that flew over the airspace near the building, which represented "a probable threat."
They were paratroopers heading to Nationals Park, located just over a mile from the Capitol, for a demonstration prior to a Major League baseball game.
Congressional staff rushed out of the building around 6:30 pm after receiving an order from the complex's law enforcement authorities.
It was later proven that the threat was false and that the twin-engine aircraft was carrying the paratroopers.
Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives, issued a statement hours later in which she blamed the Federal Aviation Administration for "apparent omission" in not informing the Capitol Police that a plane would fly over the stadium, which she described as " outrageous and inexcusable."
"Congress looks forward to examining the results of a comprehensive after-action review, which determines what exactly went wrong today and who in the Federal Aviation Administration will be held accountable for this unacceptable and terrifying mistake," Pelosi said. .
At the time of issuing the alert, the small plane had been flying over the airspace near the Capitol, after taking off from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
It was proven that the aircraft, a De Havilland Twin Otter, remained outside the prohibited airspace over the Capitol and other government buildings the entire time. The pilot coordinated his flight with the control tower at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington.
Authorities are now investigating why the military did not coordinate the event with Washington police authorities.
Sources who chose to remain anonymous toldThe Associated Press that perhaps the pilot might not have reported the takeoff correctly or did not have the proper clearance.
The plane returned to Joint Base Andrews at 6:50 pm, after the paratroopers dropped into the stadium.
The Capitol reopened shortly after 8:00 p.m.
The incident occurs less than a year and a half after theviolent assault on the property on January 6, 2021, by followers of former President Donald Trump, who left a balance ofone police officer and four robbers dead, and more than 100 police officers injured, some seriously.
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