U.S. F-16s tracking plane believed stolen in Canada

April 7, 2009

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U.S. F-16 fighter jets are tracking a single-engine plane over Wisconsin that is

believed to have been stolen from Thunder Bay, Ont., by a student pilot.

06/04/2009 8:31:34 PM

Mike Kucharek, spokesperson for NORAD in Colorado, told The Associated Press

that as of 5:30 p.m. local time, the Cessna 172 was headed southwest away from

Madison, Wisconsin.

At about 5 p.m., the state capital building in Madison was evacuated. Police

cars cordoned off the streets around the building and officers told people to

move away from the area.

Kucharek said the plane was stolen at about 2:30 p.m., and that the pilot was

flying erratically.

He also said the pilot did not communicate verbally with the fighter jets, or

immediately obey non-verbal commands to follow them.

However, Kucharek said the plane is not believed to be a terrorist threat.

The small plane belongs to Confederation College's aviation program and is

believed to have taken off from the Thunder Bay International Airport.

City police are at the scene at the college's hangar. Police spokesperson Chris

says officers have little to go on at the time.

According to Cessna's website, the Cessna 172 Skyhawk is world's most flown

airplane. It has a maximum cruise speed of 233 kilometres an hour and a range of

1,130 kms.

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