Cessna 172 Busts TFR For Front Row Seat At 77th UN General Assembly

Earlier this week, a Cessna 172 sought front-row seating the recent United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) that was occurring in New York City. This UNGA meeting marked the first time in three years that leaders from around the world gathered in-person for the 77th session. Some speeches were re-scheduled for a later time as many world leaders were paying their last respects to Queen Elizabeth II in the United Kingdom. 

On Wednesday morning, around the time U.S. President Joe Biden was making a speech at the event, the single-engine 4-seat aircraft entered the restricted airspace, and since the pilot was not responding to radio communication, a F-15 fighter jet was scrambled to intercept the aircraft and escort it away from the area. The Cessna 172 was had departed the Long Island Mac Arthur airport (KISP), some 40NM east of the Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) zone, perhaps on a ‘routine’ mission to who knows where, but we’re sure the pilot will now have a “and there I was...” story to tell once the shock wears off and some time passes.  

You may recall earlier in the year (April 2022) when an Army aircraft carrying the “Golden Knights” (a team of para jumpers) for a pre-game ceremony at the Nationals Park caused alarm and triggered evacuation of the capitol. That was probably the fastest they’d moved since the class bell rang in school!  The Nationals Park, which is just under 2 miles south of the U.S. Capitol had apparently experienced a mix-up of communication in requesting permission for the waterfront drop zone.  

Of course, an investigation will be conducted, and the outcome will probably not be made public, but may include suspension, remedial training or worse, revocation of license. There are resources to which pilots should avail themselves, even for a short or routine flight because you never know when a pop-up TFR might appear...though, in this case, the TFR had been established for days. Leidos Flight Service has made significant improvements, but we could certainly use more filtering along the route of flight to cut down on the volume of data one must peruse, and finally, one should not be afraid to talk to ATC! Another set of eyes can’t be that bad, can it? 

FMI: https://1800wxbrief, https://tfr.faa.gov