Florida man detained after landing gyrocopter on Capitol lawn

A Florida man attempting to deliver a message to Congress about corruption was detained on Wednesday after landing his small gyrocopter on the Capitol lawn. The incident prompted a brief lockdown of the area while police investigated the craft and apprehended the pilot, identified as a 61-year-old mailman named Doug Hughes.

Though the landing surprised police and reporters, it was not entirely a secret. In a pre-flight interview with The Tampa Bay Times, Hughes said he planned to fly to D.C. with 535 letters — one for each member of Congress — "demanding reform and declaring a voter's rebellion in a manner consistent with Jefferson's description of rights in the Declaration of Independence."

"No sane person," he told the Times, "would do what I'm doing."

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