Capitol Evacuated after Small Plane Busts FRZ

Stephen Pope

Tuesday, June 10, 2014 at 07:26 PM ET

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Key Takeaways:

F-15s were scrambled to intercept a small airplane that strayed into the Washington, D.C., Flight Restricted Zone, prompting temporary evacuations of the Capitol and other government buildings.
The pilot, who was flying from Massachusetts, reportedly told officials he became confused about his location.
NORAD reports that TFR incursions are a regular occurrence, leading to fighter jet scrambles about once a week and costing taxpayers millions annually.

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The military scrambled a pair of F-15s on Saturday after the pilot of a small airplane strayed into the Washington, D.C., Flight Restricted Zone, prompting the evacuation of the Capitol, Library of Congress and Supreme Court for a short time.

The fighters escorted the airplane to the airport in Mount Airy, North Carolina, where the pilot reportedly told law enforcement officials he became confused about his location during the flight from Massachusetts.