Someone stole a Cessna and flew it across the border to the US - from Canada. Pilot

[applegrove]

intercepted by NORAD and they are following it now. According to Canadian authorities the pilot is not a happy person. All I know.

[Blue Diadem]

1. Here's a link. It's beyond St. Louis now.

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=7273710&page=1

Jet Fighters Pursue Cessna Stolen by Flight Student
Plane Could Be Shot Down If It Is Deemed a Threat

[virgogal]

2. Makes me remember the kid that landed in Red Square some years

ago.

[applegrove]

7. Plane landed highway 60 in Missouri. Pilot is now on the run.

[CreekDog]

3. what's the range on one of those planes? he's gotta run out of fuel sooner or later.

He's flown over 1000 miles I think.

[applegrove]

5. Seven hours. I think they said he has 1 1/2 hours left. His plane was filled with fuel and had a

double tank or something.

[pa28]

6. Seven hours is about the limit.

I'm sure he's down by now, safely I hope.

[HeresyLives]

4. Latest, from Canada.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090406.wstolen0406/BNStory/National/home

[applegrove]

8. Plane landed highway 60 in Missouri. Pilot is now on the run.

[Blue Diadem]

10. At least he didn't crash or get shot down.

Crazy stuff.

[applegrove]

12. Yup. Apparently there was a suicide note at the airport. I hope he gets caught

and gets help soon.

[proud2BlibKansan]

24. Uh oh

Those Missouri hillbillies are going to nail him now. LOL

[DemoTex]

9. Thomas Root lives!

Wife on national TV: "Root, your are in trouble now!"

What year was that? 1989?

[Duer 157099]

11. Huh. I didn't think we could do that sort of thing

I mean, look at 9/11 and all the planes that just did whatever they wanted. I guess our air security forces have learned something in the past decade or so.

:sarcasm:

(!!! like this is some novel thing, to be aware of and intercept errant aircraft! What a concept!)

[lonestarnot]

13. We totally suck.

[BeFree]

15. Now, Now

On 9/11 the military had at least 3 different exercises going on that allowed the Air Traffic Control and military to coordinate responses like this we saw today.

So, on that fateful day, they were real busy. And, it has been said, Cheney was in the WH doing his executive part in the exercise. Maybe Cheney had them all screwed up that day? Can you imagine what extreme pressure there must have been that day with Cheney looking over their shoulders and probably barking orders?

So cut them some slack..... they knew what they were doing.

[MADem]

14. He landed and he's ON THE RUN!!!!!

I think he might have been working on a death wish, and now he's changed his mind.

CNN is "on it."

[Puzzler]

16. This comment amuses me from the Globe and Mail...

"H.C. from Milwaukee, United States writes: Never mind that the US "overreacted." How did a student manage to grab an airplane and leave Canada with it without anyone in Canada stopping him? We may overreact, but it's better than brushing it off and doing nothing at all."


Us dern Canadians! Not stopping the guy... he must have slipped by all of our heavily armed mounties. You know, the ones... on guard at every single airfield and private flying club, no matter how small, throughout the country.

[Poiuyt]

18. I have this image of Dudley Do Right chasing the plane down the runway on horseback!

[Canuckistanian]

23. Damn! I was supposed to be guarding him. But I went out for a Timmie's

I just can't resist rolling up that rim.

[havocmom]

17. Hey, any DUers in the Northern Tier hear odd jets?

We did here and it is not normal to hear jets low & slow around where I live (eastern Montana, not even close to any air base to explain low circling jet). Husband and I wondered what was going on. Only jets we EVER here are WAY high and going straight. This was low, slow and doing a circle. Perhaps NORAD scrambled a lot of jets over the northern tier? Any other northern DUers hear odd jets this evening?

[hootinholler]

19. South Eastern?

Could be Powder River MOA which is active right now. On a map, go to the map tab then select Montana and click update map.

-Hoot

[havocmom]

21. nope, that is WAY south of me.

Believe me, Hoot, when I say it is REAL odd to hear some jet doin low and slow in my hood. Used to live in Southern California, near Navel Air Stations; grew up listening to those sounds, but NOT around here in 10 years. That unmistakable sound really jolts me now. Only time we get jets low is on July 4th when the throttle jockeys from Malmstrom do fly-over routes to thrill the folks celebrating in tiny bergs here on the prairie.

I do know NORAD and friends react fast here in the event of any perceived threat. Local rancher, living alone and busy outdoors all the time totally missed any news about 9-11-01 attack on WTC. He needed a tractor part on 9-12 and jumped in his plane to fly into town for the part.

Air Force intercepted him about 10 minutes after he took off. INVITED him to land NOW or be shot down. Boy, was he surprised.

Yes, we ARE far enough off the beaten path that a fella could not have heard about the attacks on 9-11 for some time and not have realized there was a serious no-fly order out there.

No, this was a military jet and it was damned strange. IF you knew my secret location, you would understand the scrutiny. I will PM you. ;)

[rucky]

20. I knew the Canadian Air Force would try to invade us one day.

[arthritisR_US]

25. just returning the favour of 1812 ;-) n/t

[ConcernedCanuk]

26. Just a test run - if ONE Cessna can fly 5 hours through US air space

.
.
.

imagine what we could do with a few thousand, armed, with Kamikaze pilots!

Follow them in with our Beavers (yeah - we have planes called Beavers), Sea King Helios,

heck

watching the way the "military might" is working for the USA over in the ME we could invade the USA in NO time.

And I betcha half of ya really WOULD shower us with flowers and candy :silly:

[XOKCowboy]

27. Bring some BC Bud with ya..

and you all can bunk at my place! Do you guys consider Moosehead "good beer"? ;)

[B o d i]

22. They caught him. Well, they have a suspect in custody anyway.

http://www.ky3.com/news/local/42564447.html

Story Published: Apr 6, 2009 at 10:07 PM CDT
Story Updated: Apr 6, 2009 at 10:07 PM CDT

A man is in the custody tonight of the Missouri Highway Patrol In a crazy story that began in Canada and ended in Southeast Missouri's Carter County.

He stole a plane in Canada and flew it erratically into the United States.

Fearing a threat, two United States Air Force F-16 fighter jets flanked the plane from Wisconsin to its landing point in Elsinore near Poplar Bluff.

The pilot landed the plane on a dirt road about an hour ago. The man inside took off into the woods and was caught about half an hour ago.

The pilot didn't communicated with authorities thru the entire flight. His flight forced the evacuation of the Wisconsin Capitol building in Madison as a precaution while it flew over the city.