Last night, I again had trouble sleeping, so I went searching for information on the web about security breaches at the White House.

For several months I've been intending to look this up. I have a couple of conflicting memories of a plane hitting the White House. And something about a helicopter landing on the grounds.

I got no where with the term "White House Security" under Google. So I tried just plain "White House" and found a lengthy article at White House via Wikipedia. In the article was a section on security which included a reference to PUBLIC REPORT OF THE WHITE HOUSE SECURITY REVIEW. From the context, I'd guess it dates from 1994.

A plane did indeed hit the White House.

"On September 12, 1994, at 1:49 a.m., a Cessna 150L airplane crashed onto the South Lawn of the White House, killing the pilot, Frank Eugene Corder, but injuring no one else. The plane came to a halt against the south wall of the Executive Mansion, causing minimal damage. President Clinton and his family were not in residence at the time; hence, they were never in any danger." (First paragraph)

Under a section near the end "Air Incursions and Attempted Air Incursions," there's mention of the helicopter incident.

"Robert K. Preston (February 1974). On February 17, 1974, Robert Preston, a private in the Army, stole an Army helicopter from Fort Meade, Maryland, and flew it to the White House Complex. He passed over the Executive Mansion and then returned to the south grounds, where he hovered for about 6 minutes and touched down briefly approximately 150 feet from the West Wing. Members of the EPS did not know who was piloting the aircraft and were not aware that it had been stolen from Fort Meade. They made no attempt to shoot down the helicopter.

Preston left the area of the White House and flew the helicopter back toward Fort Meade. He was chased by two Maryland State Police helicopters, one of which he forced down through his erratic maneuvers. Preston then returned to the White House Complex. As he lowered himself to about 30 feet above the south grounds, EPS officers barraged the helicopter with shotgun and submachine gunfire. Preston immediately set the riddled aircraft down. He was injured slightly."

But what is really interesting, and to which I have heard no reference made, is the last paragraph of the section.

"Samuel Byck (February 1974). Samuel Byck, a failed businessman with a history of mental illness, was investigated by the Secret Service in 1972 on the basis of reports that he had threatened President Nixon. In 1974, he hatched a plan called "Operation Pandora's Box" to hijack a commercial airliner and crash it into the Executive Mansion. On February 22, less than a week after the Preston incident, Byck went to Baltimore/Washington International Airport carrying a pistol and a gasoline bomb. He forced his way onto a Delta flight destined for Atlanta by shooting a guard at the security checkpoint. He entered the cockpit and ordered the crew to take off. After the crew informed him that they could not depart without removing the wheel blocks, Byck shot the pilot twice and the co-pilot three times (the co-pilot died). Police outside the airplane shot into the cockpit and hit Byck twice. Byck fell to the floor, put the revolver to his head, and killed himself."

Wow! Seems like I recall a number of denials from the Bush administration that this type of attack had never been addressed in security briefings. Seems like someone didn't do their homework.

PAX!