What appeared to be a low-flying commercial plane escorted by fighter jets over the Mall around noon yesterday was nothing more than a promotional photo shoot for the D.C. Air National Guard.
Staff Sgt. Lorenzo Parnell, a spokesman for the D.C. Air National Guard, said the 45-minute flight of planes from the 113th Wing was meant to get material for a poster designed for “recruiting and retention” purposes. “It’s just to let people know we are here, and we are doing our job over the skies of D.C.,” Sgt. Parnell said.
A statement issued by the Guard unit later in the day said the aircraft made five passes over the District and included a C-40, a C-38 and two F-16s, one of which was carrying a military photographer.
The sight of the C-40, a military derivative of the commercial 737, accompanied by the F-16 fighter jets led many persons on the ground to believe a passenger plane was being escorted by military aircraft.
William Shumann, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration, said the Guard had “coordinated with us in advance for a flight like this. We were told they wanted to do an air-to-air photo shoot,” he said.
The Guard was approved to make passes over the city originating from Andrews Air Force Base.
CNN broadcast live pictures of the planes’ pass over the District, with a warning that there was no threat associated with the flights.
But for many who live and work in the area and tourists enjoying the annual Cherry Blossom Festival, the scene over the Mall and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport gave rise to fears of a terrorist attack. After all, a “no-fly” zone has been imposed over the city since September 11, 2001.
Since the terrorist attacks, fighter planes have escorted more than 1,600 commercial planes around the country, including a flight from London to Washington Dulles International Airport in January. But yesterday’s flight, at such low altitudes and in broad daylight over the District, was highly unusual.
“I was waiting for the missiles to fly,” said Paul Whitridge, who saw the planes flying over the Beltway in Virginia.
Heather Hokamp, 28, who works with a contracting firm in the Rosslyn section of Arlington, said seeing the planes go by her window at work put her into a “panic.”
“It was just kind of freaky,” she said. “You’re just kind of like, ’OK, is there going to be an explosion?’”
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