Tom Fleischman wrote:

It really is unbelievable that they didn't realize where they were and
what was going on around them for such a long period of time.

Agreed. Jay quotes "Lt. Col. Tim Lehmann .... said he realized how serious
the situation became when he looked at the Cessna and saw the Washington
Monument in the background."

I flew over D.C. once, back when they still called the airspace a TCA and its
top was something like 7,500'. Based on that, I'd say that the Cessna pilot
would have to be blind not to have a good idea where they were. There are *many*
distinctive landmarks in the vicinity of the Washington Monument.

George Patterson
"Naked" means you ain't got no clothes on; "nekkid" means you ain't got
no clothes on - and are up to somethin'.