F-16s Tracking Stolen Cessna

Was this a test? A test of response? To see what would really happen? He flew over a major metro area and was not shot down? What if this happened in DC? How could anyone be so....dumb?

I have always thought that a small plane would be a perfect delivery mechanism for one of those suitcase nukes. Fly over the area in question and choose the altitude to deploy with the most damage.

Maybe he just wanted a Slurpee and got lost....

Originally posted by Strype
The point is, the law has already been written. He will be charged with the laws he has broken. He will go to court and face a judge/jury. He will (obviously) be found guilty and face the punishment granted by law.

Assumptions, assumptions.
None of this is guaranteed as we should all know that by now. The law is a piece of paper.. in reality, just about anything can happen.

He apparently went into the grocery store, bought a Gatorade, tried to buy a beef jerky to go with it but didn't have enough money, and then sat down and waited for authorities to arrive. He's being charged with violating immigration laws.

Funny, no word on Al Qaeda yet.

Leave the Guy alone. He just wanted some Gatorade. Can you blame him?

"He just came in, got a Gatorade, tried to get a beef jerky, didn't have enough money, went over and sat down and just kind of watched people come and go," said Tammy Bailey of Simmons Grocery & Hardware in Ellsinore in southern Missouri.

Link to story

Will somebody get this guy some beef jerky before he hijacks a slim jim truck?

[edit on 7-4-2009 by kleverone]

I thought the exact same thing what a load of crap.

Range for a typical single engine Cessna is 470 nm.

www.cessna.com...

Originally posted by Zaphod58
The pilot landed on Highway 60 and is on the run.

This story stinks to high heaven. Why on earth would a Cessna at a flight school have extra tanks onboard? The max range of a 172 is about 687nm. It's 1850 miles from Ontario to St Louis.

[edit on 4/6/2009 by Zaphod58]

Lemme reinstate I live in thunder bay...

Last night before bed I had a chat with a good friend from college, she stated that as the plane was taking off one of the runway assistant trucks did infact try to chase after it, but it was too late, so it seems they were alerted right away...

The area where the flight school is located also includes various other public access areas such as fedex and things like that, so its quite easy for someone dressed like every other joe to take a wander around without being asked what their doing... the hangers are generally left open... as for the keys in the ignition that was a joke but they were literally in there on that case, maybe the plane gets flown so much during routine trainings that the instructor just said effit and left them in...

The airport it self has barly any security, I remember when we had a big airshow one year half the city just jumped the fence and walked across the airport, nobody even did anything, cheaper then paying 50 bucks... but that just goes to show anyone can sneak in under the radar and look for planes with keys in the ignition...

If this guy really did want to commit suicide he should have just flown the plane towards a state capitol and he would have gotten his wish...

My gf said he was in his second year, so I dont know why they would say he has 2 hours of flight under his belt, I dont know their actual practices maybe it was 2 years worth of books... but i'd assume hes been up there longer... maybe as a co pilot...

Anyways thats i'll i've heard since this started...

Isn't it interesting that they can intercept a Cessna, but couldn't intercept 3 jets on 9/11?

reply to post by Jay-in-AR


I was suggesting that he had previous training, perhaps military. My original thought was that he flew a backpack nuke or a bio agent into the country. It would not be the smartest way to do it but it would be smart than trying to cross the border.

Oh, and yes, that was some amazing flying they did at the Pentagon.

[edit on 7-4-2009 by traderjack]

the news just said the fighter pilots "decided" he was not a threat. weird seeing as he told the state police he was gonna commit suicide.

Originally posted by Jay-in-AR
reply to post by Zaphod58

 

Then be done responding to me.

Just remember that I told you this guy would be labeled a terrorist before anyone knew he was anything other than a Canadian.

And you, sir, lose.

Reports today are that this man was suicidal, attempting to get the F-16s to shoot him down and, this is the big one, had NO TIES WHATSOEVER TO ANY TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS.

Of course, maybe now you'll start going on about how they found your posts and at the last minute changed the story to discredit you.

Originally posted by sir_chancealot
Isn't it interesting that they can intercept a Cessna, but couldn't intercept 3 jets on 9/11?

Not really, considering they were completely different circumstances.

reply to post by Jay-in-AR


When do we get to hear you concede that this was nothing but an idiot who wanted them to kill him?

I'm Canadian and have a lot of friends from all parts of the world. But a Canadian guy originally from Turkey, ergo a Muslim, taking control of a plane and flying it around the US, and claiming he is suicidal, is unusual.

There are many suicide attempts in this country. They mostly involve overdosing or jumping off somewhere. This guy knew how to fly and was pretty calm and collected. But claims he lacked the courage to crash the plane.

Let's just say extremely unusual. If there's more to the story I won't be surprised.


Mike

I'm shocked at the amount of 9/11 comparisons, and the number of posts saying the F16 pilots should have shot him down.

IF he tried to commit suicide, I'm going to guess an F-16 can out-maneuver a Cessna, and would have blown him to pieces before he got anywhere near to the public.

As for the 9/11 comparisons, it's an unfair comparison, there is no conspiracy to cover up this incident.

We don't know the back story or much else beyond what has been reported.

But how often do people from the Middle East take unauthorized control of airplanes and fly them over US territory on self-proclaimed suicide missions?



Mike

It was a Cessna 172N, produced in 1980. There were several changes to the N over the standard 172. The N initially used a Lycoming 160HP engine designed to run on 100 octane fuel, changed to a different model engine when the first one proved troublesome.

They also made flap modifications, rudder trim, went to a 28vDC electrical system, and had an option for 66 gallon fuel tanks.

With 66 gallon tanks, they could fly just under 10 hours, which if flown at cruising speed would let him make the flight without landing if they had the 66 gallon tanks.

Originally posted by TitanHQ
I'm shocked at the amount of 9/11 comparisons, and the number of posts saying the F16 pilots should have shot him down.

IF he tried to commit suicide, I'm going to guess an F-16 can out-maneuver a Cessna, and would have blown him to pieces before he got anywhere near to the public.

As for the 9/11 comparisons, it's an unfair comparison, there is no conspiracy to cover up this incident.

Not really, but you cant really compare the two aircraft, its like; A mouse can outmaneuver a cat but if you put him on an open field (the sky) Things aren't looking good for the mouse.
You are correct that a Cessna under the watchful eye of a F-16 escort is hardly a threat.

Originally posted by aboxoftrix

could be a kid taking a joy ride, or a drug dealer, or... hmm..

right, of course, blame it on the drug dealers.... they most certainly want to steal a plane

reply to post by Clairaudience


Why not? They used them in Florida for years for deliveries. They had some pretty big planes too.

reply to post by Zaphod58


like the kids having a joy-ride?

sry, but a suicide attempt or a terrorist attack sounds more plausible to me.

[edit on 7-4-2009 by Clairaudience]