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."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up