UPDATE: AP reports "authorities took 31-year-old Adam Dylan Leon into custody..." CNN reports: "the pilot, who they say is 31-year-old (Turkish born, Canadian citizen) Yavuz Berke, may have been suicidal. According to the network, he was commonly known as Adam Leon. While there was no further information on the suspect, a news report from 2008 said he apparently lost his license and vehicle for 7-days after being clocked at 160 km/hr in a 90-zone."
The stolen Cessna 172 landed near a highway in Ellsinore, Missouri (near Poplar Bluff) and the pilot was on the run.
Louisiana Air National Guard F15's were called upon as the airplane continued southbound. Officials believed, based on the flight path that the airplane could've been heading in that direction and may have had the range to make Louisiana.
(The following was written as the drama unfolded) As I write this, a stolen Cessna 172 should just about be running out of gas somewhere in southeastern Missouri. It was stolen earlier today from a flight school in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada and has been flying along at around 14,500 for a while now.
According to CTV.CA: "The small plane belongs to Confederation College's aviation program and was taken off from the Thunder Bay International Airport. According to local radio, someone jumped the fence and took off on an unauthorized flight."
That’s fairly high for a Cessna 172, odds are this pilot didn’t think to steal oxygen and a mask and if he’s passed out, this airplane must have autopilot or one of the best rigged airframes ever. It was last seen in the area of Poplar Bluff, MO.
The capitol building in Madison, WI was evacuated as the airplane flew near the area. This from Milwaukee's Journal Sentinel: " In Madison, Department of Justice spokesman Bill Cosh said "several precautions" were taken at the state Capitol after the report of the plane in state air space.
The Capitol was evacuated at about 5:10 p.m. and Capitol Police officers circled the building, telling state workers and visitors to "get as far away as possible."
Video from a FOX affiliate, possibly in Madison, WI
Video from CTV as the drama was unfolding:
F16’s have been chasing this airplane since it illegally crossed into U.S. airspace, at one time almost forcing it down, but to no avail. One report says "A spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security refused to say if the incident could be terrorism related, and referred all inquiries to the FAA."
The F16's are having to "hand-off" the mission from one crew to another due to their range, meanwhile the Cessna is capable of up to 8 hours of flight, or around 790 miles according to various sites. **During intercept operations like this, it's normal for these fast flying jets to have to set up a race track pattern to "keep up" with the slower aircraft**
One report said it was a male flying the airplane, but his intent could not be ascertained. When one report said they woudn't release his name or age, that pointed to possibly a minor.
A couple of videos from CNN:
From CNN this ominous quote: Both Lt. Cmdr. Gary Ross of NORAD and Brown of the FAA said the 14,000-feet altitude is above the level at which the FAA requires use of oxygen. Brown said it was not clear whether the Cessna had supplemental oxygen on board.
Ross says the plane is a long-range version of a Cessna 172. It was fully fueled, giving it about seven hours of flying time.
Ross said if NORAD officials believe the aircraft poses a threat, "we take seriously any intent to harm any of our citizens or critical infrastructure." He added that "all options are on the table although we continue to move towards a resolution that doesn't call for (lethal force)."
More from CNN: "A federal law enforcement official told CNN the pilot is a naturalized Canadian citizen, but declined to give his name or country of origin. The source said the pilot was a flight school student for a "brief" period and only clocked a few hours of flight time. Canadian officials have received some information that the pilot is "not a happy individual," the official said."
I'm going to go out on a limb and predict his happiness is not going to increase.
Unlike every other site, below is an actual Canadian registered Cessna 172 (and possibly the actual aircraft), and an F16. (Source: AVWeb.com/WQOW TV)
Comments
The article says "One report said it was a male flying the airplane, but his intent could not be ascertained. When one report said they woudn't release his name or age, that pointed to possibly a minor."
Yeah, could be that.. or could be an Islamic Jihadist testing our defense response time. I'd like to know how an F-16 slows down to 120 knots to give the pilot a vantage point to ID the dope in the Cessna.
This looks like an Al Queda test run to see what happens and how fast. This guy looked like an Al Queda terrorist...Oops....I didn't profile him did I?
FYI: The local news station is WLUK-TV "Fox 11" out of Green Bay, WI.
The F-16 is actually pretty capable at slow speed if you've ever seen a demonstration flight. The leading edge flaps function automatically based on AoA. The ailerons function as flaps. The fly by wire system doesn't have a flap lever, just a "Takeoff/landing configuration" switch which lowers the flaps automatically depending on airspeed when the landing gear is extended.
One report said the the 172 had his transponder on. ADF F-16s have air to air interrogate capability.
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