A man who illegally entered restricted airspace over the US capitol in a gyrocopter was just seconds from colliding with a commercial jet, according to federal prosecutors.
Douglas Hughes of Florida flew the one-man aircraft almost in the flight path of Delta Flight 1639 which had taken off from Reagan National Airport.
"If the gyrocopter had drifted slightly west, or the airline had taken a slightly more easterly path, a collision could have occurred," prosecutors said in a court filing.
However Hughes’ attorney was sceptical about the claim.
"It seems suspicious that on the eve of sentencing, all of a sudden his flight was about to blow up a commercial airliner," attorney Mark Goldstone said.
Former postal worker Hughes’ flight last year was part of a political protest and not deemed as a danger to national security but prosecutors are pushing for a jail term to deter others.
"Whether the next airspace violator is an unpopular religious extremist or a popular advocate on any issue of domestic policy, the deterrent message must be clear: If you violate the airspace of our nation’s capital — regardless of your message — you will be punished," prosecutors wrote.
Following an earlier plea deal prosecutors are seeking a 10 month prison sentence.
