Stolen plane from Canada escorted by US fighters
WAUSAU, Wis. (AP) — A man suspected of stealing a plane in Canada and flying erratically across three states was trying to commit suicide, hoping he would be shot down by military fighter planes, a state trooper said Tuesday.
Adam Dylan Leon, 31, was arrested at a convenience store in Ellsinore, Mo., shortly after landing the single-engine, four-seat Cessna on a rural Missouri road Monday night, ending a six-hour flight, police said.
The plane was tracked as a "flight safety issue" and was not believed to be a terrorist threat, Mike Kucharek, spokesman for the North American Aerospace Defense Command, said in a telephone interview from Colorado Springs.
The Missouri state trooper who arrested Leon said on ABC's "Good Morning America" that the pilot told him he had hoped to be shot down.
"He made a statement that he was trying to commit suicide and he didn't have the courage to do it himself. And his idea was to fly the aircraft into the United States, where he would be shot down," Trooper Justin Watson said on ABC.
Watson said Leon apparently hitched a ride to the convenience store after landing on a highway and taxiing the plane to a side road. He didn't appear surprised when the officer entered the convenience store to arrest him.
Leon said "he didn't have any ID, but he was the person we were looking for," Watson said.
He said Leon "gave me no indication that it was anything other than he was having personal problems and was in an attempt to end his life."
"He did state that he thought at one time he was getting shot down, but apparently the Air Force were just shooting flares," the trooper said.
Leon was in the Butler County Jail on Tuesday in Poplar Bluff, Mo.
The plane was reported stolen Monday afternoon from Confederation College Flight School at Thunder Bay International Airport in Ontario. It was intercepted by F-16 fighters from the Wisconsin National Guard after crossing into the state near the Michigan state line.
The pilot was flying erratically and didn't communicate with the fighter pilots, Kucharek said at the Aerospace Defense Command.
The pilot acknowledged seeing the F-16s but didn't obey their nonverbal commands to follow them, Kucharek said.
The plane's path over Wisconsin prompted a brief, precautionary evacuation of the Wisconsin capitol in Madison, although there were few workers in the building at the time and the governor was not in town.
The Cessna 172 continued south over Illinois and eastern Missouri before landing near Ellsinore, about 120 miles south-southwest of St. Louis.
The plane landed about six hours after the reported theft, and had enough fuel for about eight hours of flight, NAADC officials said.
"We tailed it all the way," Maj. Brian Markin said. "Once it landed our aircraft returned to base."
FBI spokesman Richard Kolko told CNN that Leon was a native of Turkey who changed his name from Yavuz Berke and became a Canadian citizen last year.
Apr 7, 2009 at 9:29 p.m.
Suggest removal
"There is nothing FUN in having to perform that task when directed too."
Spoken like someone who has been on the receiving end of such orders, as have I. The best comment I can offer on the subject- other than to point out how little damage a Cessna will do (far less than even a speeding full-size pickup truck)- is the famous quote from Otto von Bismarck "Anyone who has gazed into the glassy eyes of a man as he dies, will think long and hard before firing a shot out of anger or hatred." What separates us from less civilized nations is the fact that despite having the capability to kill anyone at anytime for anything, we choose only to do so when no other option is left.
It should be viewed as a great outcome that no one died and that an ill man (NOT a terrorist) will get the help he needs. I hope those of you who are calling for violence without restraint stop and think about that before being so quick to judge him based upon the fact that he didn't have the good fortune to have pale white skin and American citizenship.
Apr 7, 2009 at 8:36 p.m.
Suggest removal
brewersrock..."My hubby was an Army ADA" " He used to watch the Russians fly from East Germany accross the border into NATO air space & while they may have scrambled & followed them, they never dreamed of shooting them down."
Say what?
If he was worth his salt...he absolutely dreamed of shooting them down. After all...that is what they were trained for and lived for... Shoot the Ruskies...
Apr 7, 2009 at 7:57 p.m.
Suggest removal
"The fighter pilots would get to have practice and fun knowing..."
-
There is nothing FUN in having to perform that task when directed too.
Apr 7, 2009 at 5:45 p.m.
Suggest removal
All this hand-wringing is exactly why the UN is a total waste of time & money, & why we're- ultimately- likely to lose the war on terror.
Apr 7, 2009 at 5:26 p.m.
Suggest removal
CitizenOne - that sort of logic would go over well in someplace like North Korea or Iran...not here.
Apr 7, 2009 at 4:34 p.m.
Suggest removal
I agree w/Retired AF. My hubby was an Army ADA (Air Defense Artillery) officer & there are a LOT of rules/protocol to follow before shooting anything down. He used to watch the Russians fly from East Germany accross the border into NATO air space & while they may have scrambled & followed them, they never dreamed of shooting them down w/o just cause.
Apr 7, 2009 at 4:32 p.m.
Suggest removal
jvldss - I'm with you on this one.
"How long before you can land this plane?"
"I can't tell."
"You can tell me, I'm a doctor."
"No, I don't know how long before we can land this plane."
"Well, can't you take a guess?"
"Not for eight hours."
"You can't take a guess for eight hours?"
Apr 7, 2009 at 4:29 p.m.
Suggest removal
billnewbie - THAT WAS HILARIOUS!
Apr 7, 2009 at 3:51 p.m.
Suggest removal
they evacuated the state capitol,he passed over lake superior where they could have brought the plane down,the parts would have landed on the ice where all you gun haters could have gone and swept up the mess. when will we learn its are right to defend ourselves.
Apr 7, 2009 at 3:38 p.m.
Suggest removal
Somewhere in Pakistan, Osama is sitting there in his cave saying to his minions, "add that one to the tactics manual".
Apr 7, 2009 at 2:53 p.m.
Suggest removal
Captain Oveur: You ever been in a cockpit before?
Joey: No sir, I've never been up in a plane before.
Captain Oveur: You ever seen a grown man naked?
Apr 7, 2009 at 12:49 p.m.
Suggest removal
RetiredAirForce, thank you for being a voice of reason here (even if I disagree with you on almost everything else). It's greatly to our credit that we didn't overreact to this quite minor threat.
Apr 7, 2009 at 11:54 a.m.
Suggest removal
“he should have been shot down . . .” Oh boy, most definitely a rookie-level comment.
.
First of all, the AF didn’t know if there was anybody else in the plane. Would it seem like such a good idea to shoot if you knew he had a couple of kids tied up in back? They also didn’t know what kind of cargo he might have had. Would you want this plane shot down over your house if it was full of uranium or irradiated debris?
.
NORAD has rules of engagement to determine if and when to shoot. They do their best to ensure everyone’s safety, but there is always a risk associated with shooting, and a balancing risk of what could happen if you don’t shoot. Some really smart people do a lot of hard thinking to figure out the best course of action for all sorts of improbable scenarios. They won’t always get it right, but they certainly nailed it this time.
Apr 7, 2009 at 11:22 a.m.
Suggest removal
The risk factor was obviously assessed appropriately-and Im confident had he appeared to be heading towards a building immediate action would have been taken-they were studying every move this man made-probably even knew he 'wanted to be shot down.' Consider the ramifications of this mans suicide attempt-had he been successful the door would be left open for copycats. It's easy for us to say what we think should have been done-but I personally am relieved we can rely on the Air Force expertise!
Apr 7, 2009 at 11:06 a.m.
Suggest removal
Negative Ghost Rider...the pattern is full.
Apr 7, 2009 at 10:34 a.m.
Suggest removal
Ugh men. When they want to commit suicide they pick the most complicated/messy ways possible.
Apr 7, 2009 at 10:17 a.m.
Suggest removal
Spark, I understand you frustration, but we still have to protect our own not hurt them.
Apr 7, 2009 at 10:16 a.m.
Suggest removal
"They chase them and if they don't comply, they ram the vehicle or blow the tires out."
-
They don't do that if others could be hurt...they wait until it can be deemed safe. Shooting an aircraft down over populated areas is never safe.
Apr 7, 2009 at 10:07 a.m.
Suggest removal
RetiredAirForce - Maybe it's because I'm getting a little fed up with reading all these stories about how people are depressed so they opt to involve innocent people, take innocent lives and bring everyone else into their personal problems. That probably has a little to do with why I'm speaking the way I am. Oh..and he landed on a highway. Another safe move. And you're right, no the police don't shoot at drivers of stolen vehicles. They chase them and if they don't comply, they ram the vehicle or blow the tires out. That's kind of hard to to in the air I guess.
Apr 7, 2009 at 9:59 a.m.
Suggest removal
Where's Wesley Snipes just when you need him?
Apr 7, 2009 at 9:59 a.m.
Suggest removal
"He may be non-threatening now, but all his actions prior to that would lead me to believe different at the time of crisis."
-
Do we have police shoot at the drivers of stolen cars or do we try every effort to get them to stop without hurting others?
Apr 7, 2009 at 9:54 a.m.
Suggest removal
The plane was stolen. The man was suicidal. He was flying erratically and didn't obey commands after acknowledging the military's presence. He may be non-threatening now, but all his actions prior to that would lead me to believe different at the time of crisis. Hmmm, that is worthy of being taken out in my book. Who's to say he couldn't have just augured the plane into the ground killing many others. Regardless, glad in ended the way it did and I hope this clown gets some help.
Apr 7, 2009 at 9:49 a.m.
Suggest removal
Sounds so simple, shoot him down. Where do the pieces land after? How many parts scattered over what area? How many homes and people under the falling debris? There are rules of engagement for a reason; to protect people. The rules worked again...imagine that.
Apr 7, 2009 at 9:45 a.m.
Suggest removal
Dunderhead.
Apr 7, 2009 at 9:39 a.m.
Suggest removal
The military did their job well. There is no sense in shooting down a non-threatening civilian aircraft. Even though the pilot is a suicidal loser, it would have been a waste of a perfectly good plane.
Apr 7, 2009 at 9:38 a.m.
Suggest removal
does anyone remember 9/11??? I think they should have shot him down the moment they locked on him! even though it was small plane, it could take others lives. Suppose he were to crash into a building that was occupied by alot of people?? Are their lives worth not shooting this guy down before he caused injury to others?? I think not.
Apr 7, 2009 at 9:30 a.m.
Suggest removal
Can you possibly think of a more insane, stupid way of wanting to end your life? And I agree, they should have shot him down. No messing around. The idiot could have harmed numerous innocent people.
Apr 7, 2009 at 9:29 a.m.
Suggest removal
No one dropped the ball. A Cessna 172 flying over generally low population areas is not a significant risk - even if it was packed with explosives. You can't shoot down a civilian plane just because it isn't following flight rules and not communicating with the escort fighter pilots. The military has strict protocol to follow when escorting an aircraft with unknown intentions - and it being a Cessna posed little risk to American lives.
Apr 7, 2009 at 9:20 a.m.
Suggest removal
he should have been shot down,I dont care what you are flying, if you cross into US airspace you get shot down, no questions asked... whether it was the state or the feds someone dropped the ball.Why are we taking any chances?
Before you post a comment, consider this:
Note: GazetteXtra.com does not condone or review every comment. Read more in our User Policy AgreementPost Comment
Commenting requires registration.