stolen cessna

AP reports "authorities took 31-year-old Adam Dylan Leon into custody..." CNN reports: "the pilot, who they say is 31-year-old (Turkish born, Canadian citizen) Yavuz Berke, may have been suicidal. According to the network, he was commonly known as Adam Leon. While there was no further information on the suspect, a news report from 2008 said he apparently lost his license and vehicle for 7-days after being clocked at 160 km/hr in a 90-zone."

The stolen Cessna 172 landed near a highway in Ellsinore, Missouri (near Poplar Bluff) and the pilot was on the run.

Louisiana Air National Guard F15's were called upon as the airplane continued southbound. Officials believed, based on the flight path that the airplane could've been heading in that direction and may have had the range to make Louisiana.

(The following was written as the drama unfolded) As I write this, a stolen Cessna 172 should just about be running out of gas somewhere in southeastern Missouri. It was stolen earlier today from a flight school in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada and has been flying along at around 14,500 for a while now.

According to CTV.CA: "The small plane belongs to Confederation College's aviation program and was taken off from the Thunder Bay International Airport. According to local radio, someone jumped the fence and took off on an unauthorized flight."

That’s fairly high for a Cessna 172, odds are this pilot didn’t think to steal oxygen and a mask and if he’s passed out, this airplane must have autopilot or one of the best rigged airframes ever. It was last seen in the area of Poplar Bluff, MO.

The capitol building in Madison, WI was evacuated as the airplane flew near the area. This from Milwaukee's Journal Sentinel: " In Madison, Department of Justice spokesman Bill Cosh said "several precautions" were taken at the state Capitol after the report of the plane in state air space.

The Capitol was evacuated at about 5:10 p.m. and Capitol Police officers circled the building, telling state workers and visitors to "get as far away as possible."

FAA Says Stolen Cessna Being Tracked Over Duluth

A Cessna plane reportedly stolen from a Thunder Bay flight school has been intercepted by U.S. military aircraft.

According to Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Laura Brown, the plane was being tracked in the area of Duluth around 4:30 this afternoon.

Brown said the pilot of the aircraft, a student at the flight school, was not communicating with air traffic controllers.

The pilot showed no sign of hostile intent, and there are no plans to shoot down the aircraft.

We'll continue to follow this story and bring you the very latest as information becomes available.

Video from a FOX affiliate, possibly in Madison, WI