WASHINGTON – U.S. Capitol Police say the Capitol and surrounding office buildings were briefly evacuated after a small airplane entered restricted airspace over Washington.
The evacuation was ordered about 1:30 p.m. Saturday. A Capitol Police spokeswoman says the pilot of the aircraft did not immediately communicate after it flew into restricted space, and that's what led to the evacuation.
The alert was lifted about 2 p.m. after the pilot began communicating, and visitors and staff were allowed back into the buildings.
Police had no further information about the pilot or why the aircraft flew over the city. Airspace violations by small planes are common in Washington, although they don't routinely lead to the Capitol being evacuated.
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