Around the monuments and federal structures of Washington, DC, lies the “P-56” prohibited airspace, in which flight of aircraft is not allowed due to security concerns. Most notably, the P-56 covers the US Capitol building, the National Mall, the US Naval Observatory (where the Vice President resides), the Pentagon, and the White House.

In 1994, Frank Corder who had stolen a plane was detected on the radar at Washington International Airport. A little while later, the tower at National Airport began receiving radar signals that showed Corder flying at an altitude of 2,700 feet, about 10 km north of the White House and dropping a 1,000 feet in a span of three minutes. Then, the plane resumed a southbound course, passing over Washington Circle, and violating the P-56 prohibited airspace.

The plane passed over the Ellipse, located south of the White House, and dove directly towards the Executive Mansion at a steep angle of descent. A minute later, with the flaps up and the throttle fully forward, the plane plowed into the White House’s South Lawn.

The pilot was killed but concerned Secret Service agents pointed out they had little chance of stopping the attacker even with hand-held Stinger missiles. The plane, the size of a compact car, simply flew undetected at street level.