1974 White House helicopter incident

==Aftermath==

==Aftermath==

The helicopter became a major tourist sight that day. It was evaluated by army personnel and found to be flightworthy despite its many bullet holes and was flown off in front of a multitude of news cameras shortly before noon. The helicopter was extensively photographed as part of the investigation, repaired, and returned to service. It was later put on display at [[Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove]]. It is believed that Preston's actions influenced [[Samuel Byck]] to attempt to hijack a plane five days later, carrying a [[.22 Long Rifle|.22 caliber]] [[revolver]] and a gasoline bomb. According to self-recorded audio before the hijacking, Byck intended to assassinate President Nixon. Police shot him, and he committed [[suicide]].{{cite book |last=Feinman |first=Ronald L. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dQAyCgAAQBAJ&q=Nixon+helicopter+Preston |title=Assassinations, Threats, and the American Presidency: From Andrew Jackson to Barack Obama |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |year=2015 |isbn=978-1-44223-122-1 |page=126 |chapter=Richard M. Nixon and the Baltimore Airport Incident |lccn=2014044057 }}

The helicopter became a major tourist sight that day. It was evaluated by army personnel and found to be flightworthy despite its many bullet holes and was flown off in front of a multitude of news cameras shortly before noon. The helicopter was extensively photographed as part of the investigation, repaired, and returned to service. It was later put on display at [[Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove]].

It is believed that Preston's actions influenced [[Samuel Byck]] to attempt to hijack a plane five days later, carrying a [[.22 Long Rifle|.22 caliber]] [[revolver]] and a gasoline bomb. According to self-recorded audio before the hijacking, Byck intended to assassinate President Nixon. Police shot him, and he committed [[suicide]].{{cite book |last=Feinman |first=Ronald L. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dQAyCgAAQBAJ&q=Nixon+helicopter+Preston |title=Assassinations, Threats, and the American Presidency: From Andrew Jackson to Barack Obama |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |year=2015 |isbn=978-1-44223-122-1 |page=126 |chapter=Richard M. Nixon and the Baltimore Airport Incident |lccn=2014044057 }}

Preston was initially charged with unlawful entry into the White House grounds, a [[misdemeanor]] with a fine of {{US$|100|1974|long=no|round=-2}}{{Inflation/fn|US}} and a maximum six-month jail term. His lawyers arranged a [[plea bargain]] in which all charges under civilian jurisdiction would be dropped if the case were transferred to the military. At his [[court-martial]], Preston was charged with several counts of [[attempted murder]] and several minor offenses. The pilot of one of the JetRangers stated that he had thought that Preston intended to commit suicide by crashing into the White House, but Preston maintained that he only wanted to draw attention to the perceived unfairness of his situation and show his skill as a pilot.{{cite news |date=August 30, 1974 |title=Soldier Gets Year Term for Helicopter Incident |work=[[The New York Times]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1974/08/30/archives/soldier-gets-year-term-for-helicopter-incident.html |url-status=live |url-access=limited |access-date=January 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191229210016/https://www.nytimes.com/1974/08/30/archives/soldier-gets-year-term-for-helicopter-incident.html |archive-date=December 29, 2019 }}{{cite book |last1=Hill |first1=Clint |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w_4NDAAAQBAJ&q=My+Extraordinary+Journey+with+Eisenhower,+Kennedy,+Johnson,+Nixon,+and+Ford |title=Five Presidents: My Extraordinary Journey with Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford |last2=McCubbin |first2=Lisa |publisher=Simon and Schuster |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-47679-413-6 |page=412 |chapter=The Unraveling of a Presidency |lccn=2015050618 |author-link=Clint Hill (Secret Service) }} He pled guilty to "wrongful appropriation and breach of the peace"{{cite news |date=August 27, 1974 |title=Pilot of Copter Files Guilty Plea |work=[[The New York Times]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1974/08/27/archives/pilot-of-copter-files-guilty-plea-army-private-landed-on-the-lawn.html |url-status=live |access-date=December 8, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191208212854/https://www.nytimes.com/1974/08/27/archives/pilot-of-copter-files-guilty-plea-army-private-landed-on-the-lawn.html |archive-date=December 8, 2019 }} and was sentenced to one year in prison and [[fine (penalty)|fined]] {{US$|2400|1974|long=no|round=-2}}.{{Inflation/fn|US}} The duration of his court-martial was given to him as [[time served]]; this meant he had to serve a further six months in prison. He instead served two months at [[Fort Riley]], Kansas, before being granted a [[general discharge]] from the army for unsuitability.{{cite news |date=October 24, 1974 |title=Robert Preston |page=26 |newspaper=[[Kentucky New Era]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=266&dat=19741023&id=V_ErAAAAIBAJ&pg=5713,5801865 |access-date=March 1, 2014 |via=[[Google News]] |archive-date=May 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200528084234/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=266&dat=19741023&id=V_ErAAAAIBAJ&pg=5713,5801865 |url-status=live }}

Preston was initially charged with unlawful entry into the White House grounds, a [[misdemeanor]] with a fine of {{US$|100|1974|long=no|round=-2}}{{Inflation/fn|US}} and a maximum six-month jail term. His lawyers arranged a [[plea bargain]] in which all charges under civilian jurisdiction would be dropped if the case were transferred to the military. At his [[court-martial]], Preston was charged with several counts of [[attempted murder]] and several minor offenses. The pilot of one of the JetRangers stated that he had thought that Preston intended to commit suicide by crashing into the White House, but Preston maintained that he only wanted to draw attention to the perceived unfairness of his situation and show his skill as a pilot.{{cite news |date=August 30, 1974 |title=Soldier Gets Year Term for Helicopter Incident |work=[[The New York Times]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1974/08/30/archives/soldier-gets-year-term-for-helicopter-incident.html |url-status=live |url-access=limited |access-date=January 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191229210016/https://www.nytimes.com/1974/08/30/archives/soldier-gets-year-term-for-helicopter-incident.html |archive-date=December 29, 2019 }}{{cite book |last1=Hill |first1=Clint |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w_4NDAAAQBAJ&q=My+Extraordinary+Journey+with+Eisenhower,+Kennedy,+Johnson,+Nixon,+and+Ford |title=Five Presidents: My Extraordinary Journey with Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford |last2=McCubbin |first2=Lisa |publisher=Simon and Schuster |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-47679-413-6 |page=412 |chapter=The Unraveling of a Presidency |lccn=2015050618 |author-link=Clint Hill (Secret Service) }} He pled guilty to "wrongful appropriation and breach of the peace"{{cite news |date=August 27, 1974 |title=Pilot of Copter Files Guilty Plea |work=[[The New York Times]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1974/08/27/archives/pilot-of-copter-files-guilty-plea-army-private-landed-on-the-lawn.html |url-status=live |access-date=December 8, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191208212854/https://www.nytimes.com/1974/08/27/archives/pilot-of-copter-files-guilty-plea-army-private-landed-on-the-lawn.html |archive-date=December 8, 2019 }} and was sentenced to one year in prison and [[fine (penalty)|fined]] {{US$|2400|1974|long=no|round=-2}}.{{Inflation/fn|US}} The duration of his court-martial was given to him as [[time served]]; this meant he had to serve a further six months in prison. He instead served two months at [[Fort Riley]], Kansas, before being granted a [[general discharge]] from the army for unsuitability.{{cite news |date=October 24, 1974 |title=Robert Preston |page=26 |newspaper=[[Kentucky New Era]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=266&dat=19741023&id=V_ErAAAAIBAJ&pg=5713,5801865 |access-date=March 1, 2014 |via=[[Google News]] |archive-date=May 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200528084234/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=266&dat=19741023&id=V_ErAAAAIBAJ&pg=5713,5801865 |url-status=live }}