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The parachuters posed a "probable" aircraft threat, prompting the 6:45 p.m. evacuation. In a statement, Capitol Police said an unidentified plane was spotted "within seconds" of the Capitol building. As soon as police recognized they were not given notice about the flight, they ordered the evacuation.
"The last time we had an evacuation due to a potential air threat was in June of 2014. Every week the USCP is made aware of hundreds of authorized flights in the restricted airspace.
"It is extremely unusual not to be made aware of a flight in advance," police said. "The United States Capitol Police must make split-second decisions that could make the difference between life and death. The decision to evacuate the campus is not one we take lightly."
When officials realized the "threat" was the parachuters preparing for their planned jump into National Park, the evacuation was called off. Police gave the all clear just after 8 p.m.
The single engine airplane was later determined to be a military flight by the Golden Knights Parachute Team for Military Appreciation night at Nationals Park.
Fox News Correspondent Mark Meredith was quick to point out that a US Army parachute team was flying over the area. Videos of the team parachuting into Nationals Park surfaced on Twitter soon after.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the Federal Aviation Administration was to blame for its "apparent failure to notify Capitol Police of the pre-planned flyover Nationals Stadium is outrageous and inexcusable," NBC4 reports.
The agency released statement that read, "The FAA takes its role in protecting the national airspace seriously and will conduct a thorough and expeditious review of the events this evening and share updates," the outlet reports.
"We know our actions affect others, especially in our nation's capital region, and we must communicate early and often with our law enforcement partners," the FAA statement continued.
A spokeswoman for the US Army Recruiting Command, which was behind the demonstration, said, “We are reviewing all aspects of the event to ensure all procedures were followed appropriately to coordinate both the flight and the parachute demonstration," the outlet reports.
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