Army Skydiving Team Airplane Triggers Capitol Security Scare and Evacuation

Thursday, April 21, 2022 at 04:43 PM ET

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The U.S. Army Golden Knights are one of only three Department of Defense-sanctioned aerial demonstration teams, along with the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. [Courtesy: U.S. Army]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Capitol was briefly evacuated after police spotted an unidentified aircraft flying in Washington D.C.'s flight-restricted zone (FRZ).
The aircraft was carrying the U.S. Army Golden Knights for a scheduled parachute demonstration, but Capitol Police were not notified of the approved flight due to an apparent inter-agency miscommunication.
The FAA acknowledged its mistake and is conducting an investigation into the incident, stressing the importance of early and frequent communication with law enforcement partners.

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What began as a scheduled pre-game parachute jump by the U.S. Army Golden Knights team into Nationals Field in Washington, D.C., is now the focus of an FAA investigation.

An apparent miscommunication among agencies led to a brief evacuation of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday evening after Capitol Police spotted an unidentified aircraft flying nearby in the flight restricted zone, or FRZ, over Washington. Police later determined the plane was carrying the Golden Knights, and that while the parachute demonstration was a scheduled event, their department had not been notified, officials said.