Man who landed gyrocopter at US Capitol pleads not guilty
May 21, 2015, 1:30 PM
U.S. Capitol Police Chief Kim Dine testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, May 20, 2015, before a House Administration Committee hearing to discuss safety concerns after a gyrocopter illegally landed on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol grounds, securing officers handguns, and other issues. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Florida man who landed a gyrocopter at the U.S. Capitol said Thursday that he will never pull a similar stunt again — and doesn’t recommend anyone else try it either.
Douglas Hughes made the comments after appearing in federal court in Washington where his lawyer entered a not-guilty plea to the six charges Hughes now faces.
Speaking outside of court, Hughes said he wouldn’t change anything about his April 15 flight in the bare-bones aircraft, but that he wouldn’t be repeating it.
“Let me be clear. I’ll never do anything like this again,” said Hughes, who has said his flight was intended to call attention to the influence of big money in politics.
He said he believes that if his flight exposed any security flaws, they have been fixed.
“Nobody else could do what I did and get away without at best being forced down, at worst being shot down, and I highly recommend nobody try it,” he said.
Hughes, 61, began his flight in Pennsylvania and flew through some of the nation’s most restricted airspace before landing on the Capitol’s West Lawn, where he was arrested.
On Wednesday, a grand jury indicted him on charges that carry up to 9
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