FAA takes blame for Golden Knights‘ event that caused Capitol evacuation

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FAA takes blame for Golden Knights‘ event that caused Capitol evacuation
By Leo Shane III
Apr 22, 07:14 PM
The Army's Golden Knights descend into National Park before a baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 20 in Washington, D.C. The U.S. Capitol was briefly evacuated after police said they were tracking an aircraft “that poses a probable threat,” but the plane turned out to be the military aircraft with people parachuting out of it for the demonstration. (Alex Brandon/AP)

The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday acknowledged it failed to warn Capitol Hill officials about a planned demonstration by the U.S. Army Golden Knights on Wednesday evening, resulting in an emergency evacuation of lawmakers’ offices amid fears of an attack on the complex.

“We did not provide advance notification of this event to the U.S. Capitol Police,” FAA officials said in a statement. “We deeply regret that we contributed to a precautionary evacuation of the Capitol complex and apologize for the disruption and fear experienced by those who work there.

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