U.S. President George W. Bush (3rd R with towel) returns to the White House in Washington May 11. Bush was biking at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Beltsville Maryland during the evacuation. (Xinhua/AFP)

Employees leave the Cannon House office building on Capitol Hill, in response to a feared threat from a small Cessna aircraft May 11. (Reuters)

Two men in a small Cessna aircraft were taken into custody Wednesday after their plane entered the restricted airspace over Washington and prompted an evacuation of the White House and the US Capitol. (Xinhua/AFP)

    WASHINGTON, May 11 (Xinhuanet) -- The US government decided Wednesday not to press charges against two men in a small Cessna aircraft which entered the restricted airspace over Washington and prompted an evacuation of the White House and the US Capitol.

    Law enforcement officials determined, after interviewing the men, that the incident was an accident. "They were navigating by sight and were lost," said Justice Department spokesman Kevin Madden.

    The two men, a pilot and a student pilot, were en route from Pennsylvania to an air show in North Carolina when their plane breached the security zone over the US capital.

    They were taken into custody and questioned by Secret Service, FBI and local authorities after their plane was escorted by fighter jets and landed at a small airport in Frederick, Maryland.

    The US Capitol and White House were evacuated after the small plane entered the restricted security zone at about 11:28 a.m. (15:28 GMT), officials said. People at several other government buildings near the White House were also ordered to evacuate.

    The White House raised its threat level to red, the highest of the five-level alert system, for eight minutes. Vice President Dick Cheney, first lady Laura Bush and former first lady Nancy Reagan were moved to secure locations.

    At that time, President George W. Bush was biking at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland.

    The scare ended about 15 minutes later as the Secret Service gave the "all clear" and allowed staff to return to their offices.

    On April 27, Bush went to an underground shelter and Cheney was taken to a secure location after security officials received a false alarm that an unidentified aircraft had entered the restricted space near the White House.

    It was quickly learned that it was a false alarm and all was clear within minutes. Enditem