Frank Eugene Corder (May 26, 1956 – September 12, 1994) was an American truck driver. He stole a Cessna 150 late on September 11, 1994, and crashed the stolen aircraft onto the South Lawn of the White House early on September 12, 1994, while attempting to land the plane; he was killed, and was the sole casualty.
Early life and education
Corder was born in Perry Point, Maryland, the son of William Eugene Corder, who was an aircraft mechanic at Edgewood Arsenal, and Dorothy Corder. He dropped out of Aberdeen High School in 11th grade and enlisted in the U.S. Army in October 1974.
Career
Corder was stationed at Fort Knox, Kentucky and Fort Carson, Colorado, where he was trained as a mechanic.
The crash caused a reevaluation in security procedures around the White House, as the pilot had entered restricted airspace. Though the White House is rumored to be equipped with surface-to-air missiles, none were fired; the Secret Service has neither confirmed nor dispelled the rumor; however, in 2019 a CBS reporter spotted an artillery battery on the roof of a building across the street.
See also
- Samuel Byck
- Francisco Martin Duran
- List of White House security breaches
- United Airlines Flight 93 - Hijackers took control of the flight during the September 11 attacks, with a planned target of either the White House or the US Capitol. However the passengers and crew tried to take back the cockpit and during the ensuing struggle the plane crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania
References
Further reading
- Summary statement of facts on the September 12, 1994 plane crash
- Public report of the White House Security Review
- Pear, Robert. "Friends Depict Loner with Unraveling Life." New York Times, September 13, 1994.