Parachute demo at Nats Park causes brief Capitol evacuation

The US Capitol was briefly evacuated on April 20 evening after police identified an aircraft that they said posed “a probable threat” - but the plane was actually carrying members of the US Army Golden Knights, who then parachuted into Nationals Park for a pregame demonstration, Report informs referring to The Associated Press.

The alert from the US Capitol Police sent congressional staffers fleeing from the Capitol and legislative building April 20 evening.

The aircraft, a twin-engine plane, took off from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland and had been circling inside heavily restricted airspace close to the Capitol when the alert was sent. Radar tracking data shows the plane, a De Havilland Twin Otter, remained clear of the prohibited airspace over the Capitol Building and other government complexes at all times.

Air traffic control recordings capture the army plane coordinating its flight with the control tower at nearby Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Investigators were still working to determine why the event wasn’t properly coordinated with law enforcement officials in Washington, two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. Multiple federal agencies began scrambling officials as the plane circled overhead.

The capital region is defended by several surface-to-air missile sites, as well as military aircrews on round-the-clock alert. It did not appear that any of those systems were scrambled.