CNN.com - Aircraft prompts brief White House evacuation - May 11, 2005

Bush away at the time; Cheney taken to secure location

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Parts of the White House, Capitol and Supreme Court were briefly evacuated Wednesday when a small plane violated restricted airspace over Washington, the White House said.

Fighter jets and a Black Hawk helicopter were scrambled to intercept a high-wing Cessna, said White House spokesman Scott McClellan.

President Bush was not at the White House at the time. Vice President Dick Cheney was in the West Wing of the building when the alert was issued and was moved to a secure location, McClellan said.

The plane was within three miles of the White House before it was turned away by the military aircraft, McClellan said. The color-coded terror alert was raised from orange to red and then lowered when the plane was diverted, he said.

Semper Fi