Golden Knights Demo Triggers U.S. Capitol Angst

[Pilot DAR]

It seems that the US Army Golden Knights flew a jump run which not everyone knew was happening

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/congress-evacuation-plane-military-1.6425459

Air traffic control recordings show the plane co-ordinating its flight with the control tower at nearby Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.....

.......Officials believe, based on a preliminary review, the pilot may have not properly reported taking off or had appropriate clearance, the people said.


Yeah... Blame the pilot, whom ATC said was talking to them.....

[Commander Taco]

It seems that the US Army Golden Knights flew a jump run which not everyone knew was happening

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/congress-evacuation-plane-military-1.6425459



Yeah... Blame the pilot, whom ATC said was talking to them.....

Huh. A DeHavilland Twin Otter built in Downsview, Ontario. Maybe they’ll do the usual and blame Canada.

[DaveReidUK]

Huh. A DeHavilland Twin Otter built in Downsview, Ontario.

I wouldn't have sent a Knight out on a dog like that ...

[BFSGrad]

Still basking in the limelight of successfully repelling the 1/6/21 insurrectionists, the U.S. Capitol Police have notched another victory by defending the U.S. Capitol against those scoundrels known as the U.S. Army Golden Knights.

“The U.S. Capitol was briefly evacuated Wednesday evening after police identified an aircraft that they said posed “a probable threat” — but the plane was actually carrying members of the U.S. Army Golden Knights, who then parachuted into Nationals Park for a pregame demonstration.”

Army Golden Knights Demo at Nats Park causes brief Capitol evacuation (https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2022/04/20/army-golden-knights-demo-at-nats-park-causes-brief-capitol-evacuation/)

[SASless]

No incompetence at or inside the Capitol Building is there?

[Bksmithca]

Being discussed here as well https://www.pprune.org/rumours-news/646303-us-army-twin-otter-worries-washington.html

[albatross]

I wouldn't have sent a Knight out on a dog like that ...

What’s wrong with a Twin Otter?

[tdracer]

What’s wrong with a Twin Otter?
Many years ago, my father was flying between Pueblo and Denver, Colorado on a Twin Otter. That flight is right along the front range of the Rocky Mountains, and is frequently extremely turbulent, especially in a small aircraft like the Twin Otter - and this flight was really bad.
At some point, the guy sitting next to my dad - whom my dad reported was getting a little green around the gills - turned and asked my dad what sort of airplane this was. My dad responded that he was pretty sure it was a Twin Otter.
The guy huffed and said 'Figures - I knew it was no damn airplane!'. :O

[Toadstool]

No incompetence at or inside the Capitol Building is there?

If one reads the whole article, you would see that the army has indicated a lack of communication between itself, the FAA and other relevant authorities. Quite a failure considering how heavily controlled the airspace should be in that area.

[albatross]

I think this will be another case of too many organizations not talking to one another in a seamless, intergraded manner.
Perhaps something as simple as someone not using the “Reply to All” option.
Happens with frustrating regularity even if you post “PLEASE REPLY TO ALL” at both the top and bottom of an email.
Some folks also elect to reply to only some of the addressees leading to the whole thing becoming fragmented into multiple email chains as some are still in the loop while others are not and assume the roaring silence indicates that all is well and the matter is being handled.
Then there are the “knowledge is power” folks who don’t talk to anyone except a select group in dark corners at midnight. They usually use “Security Issues “ and “Need to Know” as justification. I call it the “I know something you don’t !” game
Having an Organization Chart which closely resembles a pot of spaghetti doesn’t help. A plethora of multi-coloured dotted, dashed and solid lines with no clear meaning, except perhaps to the author, adds to the confusion.

[pattern_is_full]

Nnnnh - there was a similar stuff-up when Air Force One circled lower Manhattan at low altitude a few years back for a photo op.

Supposedly the communications P&P were improved after that, but I guess not entirely.

Seems to be a bureaucracy-to-bureaucracy foul-up, not the pilots or ATC (above their level, and they seem to have done their jobs just fine). Capitol Police were just not on the "need to know" list for some reason.

[BFSGrad]

There’s this curious statement from the article:

“Officials believe, based on a preliminary review, the pilot may have not properly reported taking off or had appropriate clearance, the people said. They were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.”

The Army Twin Otter departed and returned to a military airfield (KADW), which is located in Class B airspace. In fact, the entire incident occurred within Class B airspace. That would indicate to me that the pilot had the appropriate clearance and that ATC was not only aware, but granted permission for the skydiver drop.

[albatross]

Many years ago, my father was flying between Pueblo and Denver, Colorado on a Twin Otter. That flight is right along the front range of the Rocky Mountains, and is frequently extremely turbulent, especially in a small aircraft like the Twin Otter - and this flight was really bad.
At some point, the guy sitting next to my dad - whom my dad reported was getting a little green around the gills - turned and asked my dad what sort of airplane this was. My dad responded that he was pretty sure it was a Twin Otter.
The guy huffed and said 'Figures - I knew it was no damn airplane!'. :O

So what 12,500 GW twin turbine would have given a better ride?

[DaveReidUK]

What’s wrong with a Twin Otter?

Yes, I don't know what I was thinking.

[Pilot DAR]

I thought it was Funny Dave..... even though I really have enjoyed flying Twin Otters over the years, 'one of my favourite planes!

[SASless]

The FAA has announced it was the cause of the problem and promises to take effective action to prevent this happening again.

[anxiao]

I thought it was very clever Dave, but humour does not always travel...

[Ninthace]

The FAA has announced it was the cause of the problem and promises to take effective action to prevent this happening again.
They are going to stop everyone flying :E

[albatross]

“Why manage when you can overreact!”

[Errwolf]

This is a bit ridiculous, unless the Golden Knights spontaneously decided to do unannounced parachute operations, took off without a clearance into the DC SFRA, busted the stadium TFR, etc. etc. Not real likely for a frequent airshow act in the nations capitol.

Stupid things may happen in controlled airspace, but many, many published notices had to be missed by alleged professional security personnel for them to miss an approved paradrop into a stadium TFR that had been scheduled for a week. And the ensuing embarrassment to the capital police and congress triggered a predictable overreaction.

Going forward, I foresee the congressionally directed appointment of a special FAA envoy to the capitol police, to read them the text of every published TFR within 100 miles of DC. Every day.

Finally, this has nothing to do with incompetence and bureaucracy in DC. Move along folks, nothing to see here.