- Frank Eugene Corder
Frank Eugene Corder (
May 26 ,1956 –September 12 ,1994 ) crashed a stolenCessna 150 onto the South Lawn of theWhite House early onSeptember 12 ,1994 , apparently trying to hit the building; he was the sole casualty.An unemployed
truck driver and honorably discharged U.S. Army veteran from Perry Point,Maryland , Corder had lost his wife tocancer several weeks prior to the incident, which is thought to have driven him towardssuicide . Friends claim he bore no ill will towards PresidentBill Clinton and likely only wanted the publicity of the stunt. The President was not even in the mansion at the time due to renovations, but was instead staying atBlair House .He stole the Cessna on the night of
September 11 and departed from Aldino Airport inMaryland severely intoxicated, which is presumed to have led to his later miscalculation. The plane was noticed byradar technicians atNational Airport several minutes before he tried to steer it into the wall of the White House. At 1:49 a.m., he hit the South Lawn and died on impact.The crash caused a re-evaluation in security procedures around the White House, as the pilot had entered
restricted airspace . Though the White House was reportedly equipped withsurface-to-air missile s, none were fired.ee also
References
* [http://prop1.org/park/pave/rev6.htm Summary statement of facts on the September 12, 1994 plane crash]
* [http://www.fas.org/irp/agency/ustreas/usss/t1pubrpt.html Public report of the White House Security Review]
* Pear, Robert. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9900E4DA143BF930A2575AC0A962958260&sec=health&spon=&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink "Friends Depict Loner with Unraveling Life."] "New York Times", 13 September 1994.
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