The Curious Case of Yavuz Berke
posted at 10:14 am on April 7, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
When a Canadian Cessna got stolen, it set off a chain of events that looked as though it would result in the first shootdown of a passenger plane over the United States. Fortunately, it didn’t come to that, but the mystery continues. What did a depressed naturalized Canadian intend to do with the plane?
A pilot who allegedly stole a Cessna plane from a Canadian flight school and was pursued for hours across the Midwest by fighter jets, was taken into custody after he landed on a Missouri highway late today and took off running, an FBI spokesman said.
The pilot landed the single engine Cessna 172 on U.S. Highway 60 in Ellsinore, Mo., at approximately 9:50 p.m. ET, and was caught by Missouri State Highway Patrol officers, FBI spokesman Rich Kolko said.
The pilot was identified as Yavuz Berke, formerly known as Adam Leon, a 31-year-old naturalized Canadian citizen who was born in Turkey, Kolko said.
Did Berke intend to commit suicide? He has been treated for depression, and left a “good-bye” note for his girlfriend. Perhaps he hoped to get shot down by the Americans after violating our airspace, but then why land the plane? Why not just nose it down into a cornfield?
For that matter, if he wanted to provoke an attack from the F-16s, Berke could have flown at a major population center. Instead, he avoided them, flying mostly over farmland. At one point, he flew the unpressurized Cessna to 14,000 feet, perhaps hoping to die from hypoxia, but then returned to a safe altitude of 3700 feet before he could pass out.
None of this makes much sense. Fortunately, the US has Berke and might get some answers out of him, but in the end, I’m betting nothing adds up except mental illness.
Blowback
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Was it Drywall?
carbon_footprint on April 7, 2009 at 10:17 AM
Suicide ain’t easy. I guess he just got cold feet.
toliver on April 7, 2009 at 10:18 AM
he’s a nut.. no biggie
Diogenes of Sinope on April 7, 2009 at 10:19 AM
Sudden Jihad Syndrome complicated by cold feet? Who knows. I’m just glad no one was hurt.
Vic on April 7, 2009 at 10:19 AM
The news reports today say that Berke told the officers arresting him that he wanted to be shot down. If he’d gotten his wish, the remains of the plane would possibly have crashed and injured or killed innocent people and destroyed lives, not mention the harm done to the guy who shot him down.
If you’re suicidal, at least have the guts to handle it on your own and don’t involve others.
AubieJon on April 7, 2009 at 10:20 AM
Hopefully just a Mathias Rust type thing. The guy is probably just unstable.
forest on April 7, 2009 at 10:22 AM
Test run, maybe? Would America shoot down sky bound boarder crosser, lets find out.
Alex Martinez on April 7, 2009 at 10:23 AM
Range of Cessna 172 approx 1100 Kilometers
Distance from Thunderbay to Ellsinore 1700 Kilometers
Hmmmmmmmm
EricPWJohnson on April 7, 2009 at 10:23 AM
Maybe he was on his way to Turkey to try and stab Ogabe?
Bishop on April 7, 2009 at 10:23 AM
Millions of people, and we can expect one crazy…you can’t analyze crazy.
right2bright on April 7, 2009 at 10:25 AM
We could stop the thread right there, and have a winner.
Vashta.Nerada on April 7, 2009 at 10:26 AM
He was flying downhill :)
progressoverpeace on April 7, 2009 at 10:26 AM
May be he is ‘Another Shoe-throwing “journalist”’
Anita on April 7, 2009 at 10:27 AM
I blame it on conservative talk radio.
sdd on April 7, 2009 at 10:27 AM
Once he enterered the US over the Upper Peninsula the authorities figured we could get him with snowballs. Since they closed the two SAC bases in the UP we use catapults.
He entered off Lake Superior into the UP very near my place. Unfortunately I was inside reading Hotair and missed the intercept. I’m surprised the Air National Guard out of Duluth didn’t make the intercept. They are over the western UP flying practice intercepts two to three days per week.
(I wonder if the WANG called Barak in Turkey to get permission to pull the trigger.)
Could not have done it anywhere near Madison. The chances of an errant misssile missing the target and falling to earth in The Peoples Republic of Wisconsin would have been a liberal-collateral-damage disaster.
Once he was over Illinois it was deal-making-time for Blago.
Finally, over Missouri, they figured to let him land and the the Gun-clinging, Bible-toting locals could run him to ground with their coon hounds. (Key in music from Deliverence. He’s lucky the state troopers got him first.)
Yoop on April 7, 2009 at 10:28 AM
That is a very credible theory. Waterboarding anyone? Come on, what’s a little water in the nose of someone who was going to commit suicide anyway.
trs on April 7, 2009 at 10:28 AM
Sometimes a nut is just a nut. Not everything people do is logical it’s psychological.
TheBigOldDog on April 7, 2009 at 10:29 AM
lol, that has to get best comment of the year award.
N4646W on April 7, 2009 at 10:29 AM
ROFLMAO!!!!!
TheBigOldDog on April 7, 2009 at 10:30 AM
BAN ALL CESSNAS!!!!1!
PBoilermaker on April 7, 2009 at 10:31 AM
Should have added the ;-)
And no. I don’t think it was Drywall. I doubt he could find his way across the big lake.
I think the guy had free tickets to a show in Branson.
Yoop on April 7, 2009 at 10:32 AM
While Homeland Security said waterboarding was out of the question, Census Bureau reps were anxious to get him a green card and Acorn signed him up as a democrat.
Rovin on April 7, 2009 at 10:33 AM
I live about 200′ from the capitol building here in Madison. They announced on the radio yesterday that the building was being evacuated and offered no other details. Interesting feeling, wondering whether or not I should hop in my car and start driving away.
BadgerHawk on April 7, 2009 at 10:33 AM
See this is the problem. US healthcare is horrible. If only he had had access to Canadian style nazionalized healthcare he’d have been fine.
Completely unrelated:
VA patient tests HIV-positive after clinic mistake
Oh boy, I just can’t wait until we all have government run healthcare.
rbj on April 7, 2009 at 10:34 AM
Come on guys, we are talking about a Cessna here.
Even loaded to the maximum with high explosives and flying at maximum speed, most modern buildings wouldn’t even notice that they had been ht.
MarkTheGreat on April 7, 2009 at 10:34 AM
Isn’t it amazing the lengths the government will go through to stop just one person coming across the border illegally, just because he’s in a plane?
If he were in a vehicle or on foot, no effort at all is made to stop them.
The government threatens to shoot down and kill an illegal border crosser in a plane, but only offers welfare checks and free education to those coming across by car or foot.
Why not the other way around?
roninacreage on April 7, 2009 at 10:35 AM
just a demonstration of Obama’s strong leadership of the military and his insistance that they ‘stand down’ and allow this cessna to enter US airspace, continue 1000 miles, and land. Trigger-happy Bush would have blasted this arab out of the sky
/sarc
gatorboy on April 7, 2009 at 10:35 AM
Simple… not every third-world living would be illegal immigrant has the means to steal a plane and fly it into the US. This pilot received his entire life’s ‘welfare’ payments in the form of the military escort, whereas illegals crossing by foot need to break out their welfare payments with monthly food stamps, education, and medical care over decades.
gatorboy on April 7, 2009 at 10:37 AM
I’m gonna hazzard a guess, and say he was disgusted with Canada care, and wanted OUT!!!???
capejasmine on April 7, 2009 at 10:38 AM
I flew a 172 daily for many years. Trimmed and leaned for economy they may(?) go 1200 miles. This guy was all over the sky? No way is he going to get more than 900 miles.
Hal-9000 on April 7, 2009 at 10:38 AM
It’s WIANG, not WANG and you’re just jealous that our F-16 pilots got the intercept.
BadgerHawk on April 7, 2009 at 10:38 AM
Good point.
becki51758 on April 7, 2009 at 10:39 AM
Old And Busted: Suicide by Cop
New Hotness: Suicide by USAF
BohicaTwentyTwo on April 7, 2009 at 10:39 AM
If a test run, why the fourteen thousand feet?
OldEnglish on April 7, 2009 at 10:40 AM
Exactly. A typical passenger car would be more of a threat.
DarkCurrent on April 7, 2009 at 10:41 AM
BohicaTwentyTwo on April 7, 2009 at 10:39 AM
lol
Alex Martinez on April 7, 2009 at 10:42 AM
Is getalife Turkish-Canadian?
petunia on April 7, 2009 at 10:45 AM
exactly how many laps of the country were we willing to let him do before turning him into a pile of ash? i’m not so sure i like all the latitude our defense was willing to give a depressed Turk in a stolen plane from another country.
cpr on April 7, 2009 at 10:46 AM
“Avoid Slips with Flaps” ;)
DarkCurrent on April 7, 2009 at 10:46 AM
If so, please keep.
Jim708 on April 7, 2009 at 10:47 AM
He just wanted attention from his girlfriend probably….but now that’s grand theft maybe he is counting on conjugal visits?
Dr Evil on April 7, 2009 at 10:51 AM
Or rental truck?
MarkTheGreat on April 7, 2009 at 10:53 AM
Five minutes of
fameshame like every other twit that’s desperate for attention.LOL! Or getalife.
ErinF on April 7, 2009 at 10:53 AM
Toliver nailed it. The guy found he didn’t have the guts to kill himself….or wasn’t ‘crazy enough’ to do it.
GarandFan on April 7, 2009 at 10:53 AM
Even a sidewinder cost 2 or 3 times as much as that Cessna.
MarkTheGreat on April 7, 2009 at 10:54 AM
“Range of Cessna 172 approx 1100 Kilometers
Distance from Thunderbay to Ellsinore 1700 Kilometers
Hmmmmmmmm”
Good call, EricPWJohnson. I checked the 172 manual and came up with an approximate flight range of 790 miles fully topped and the distance from Thunder Bay to Ellsinore to be approximately 1050 miles.
Very interesting indeed…
Fuzzlenutter on April 7, 2009 at 10:55 AM
A couple of 20mm Vulcan rounds would probably due the job.
DarkCurrent on April 7, 2009 at 10:59 AM
So, how did he do it? 1700K-1100K= 600K. If he was wasting fuel with erratic flying techniques, something ain’t right.
a capella on April 7, 2009 at 10:59 AM
Was it Drywall?
carbon_footprint on April 7, 2009 at 10:17 AM
—-
HA! Sorry, yahoos. Not this time.
Dave Rywall on April 7, 2009 at 11:00 AM
If you were sitting in your office near the window and a Cessna came through, I think it would be a threat to your health.
Blake on April 7, 2009 at 11:00 AM
But that implies next time it could be you.
BadgerHawk on April 7, 2009 at 11:01 AM
Since this was several hours developing….
.
.
Was Obama notified?
.
.
What were his orders in any?
.
.
Did he authorize a shoot-down?
.
.
.
Why is the m/s media rather timid on this today?????
.
.
subbottomfeeder on April 7, 2009 at 11:01 AM
But not to the offices on either side of yours, nor to the office accross the hall.
Shortly after 9/11 a suicidal teen flew a single engine plane into a building in Tampa. The meeting room that was hit was moderately torn up. No other damage was done.
MarkTheGreat on April 7, 2009 at 11:02 AM
He was trying to land on Michelle Obama’s forehead, but she’s not in town.
marklmail on April 7, 2009 at 11:02 AM
I’m curious to know what the winds aloft were yesterday. That could help make up some of that distance gap, but probably not all of it unless the winds were really strong.
BadgerHawk on April 7, 2009 at 11:03 AM
Yes, most modern buildings wouldn’t notice. But they were afraid he was heading to the Barack Obama House and Holy Shrine in Chicago. There are so many supplicants there these days he might have hurt one of them.
Hawthorne on April 7, 2009 at 11:04 AM
For these planes, the passenger load makes a huge difference in range. Was the 790 miles for a full passenger load? This plane had a single occupant, with no luggage.
MarkTheGreat on April 7, 2009 at 11:04 AM
He gained some distance by going to high altitude also.
Hawthorne on April 7, 2009 at 11:05 AM
Been to 14000 feet a few times. Not long enough to suffer hypoxia. Worth the danger for those extra seconds of freefall. But it does take forever in a normally-aspirated Cessna.
SKYFOX on April 7, 2009 at 11:05 AM
Is there any way to refuel these models from inside? Could the guy have carried a couple of extra tanks inside the cockpit?
MarkTheGreat on April 7, 2009 at 11:05 AM
Even a sidewinder cost 2 or 3 times as much as that Cessna.
MarkTheGreat on April 7, 2009 at 10:54 AM
how much more than a 757 did the WTC cost? my point is that it seems awfully generous to let him fly half way across the country.
cpr on April 7, 2009 at 11:06 AM
Maybe the Canadian owner was a contributer and asked Obama to spare his plane.
MarkTheGreat on April 7, 2009 at 11:06 AM
Sure, but no more than a passenger car crashing into a street-level office. I didn’t say it was zero threat, just that it’s not a large one. Like HAL-9000, I flew C-172s for years. They are not heavy or fast aircraft.
A Cessna Citation on the other hand…
DarkCurrent on April 7, 2009 at 11:07 AM
Cessna’s are so light and low speed, that they couldn’t bring down a billboard, much less a highrise.
MarkTheGreat on April 7, 2009 at 11:08 AM
But that implies next time it could be you.
BadgerHawk on April 7, 2009 at 11:01 AM
——
I’ve said too much already.
Dave Rywall on April 7, 2009 at 11:09 AM
The fact is this man invaded United States airspace. If and when theirs another threat,will we allow no responce?
Alex Martinez on April 7, 2009 at 11:10 AM
LOL – I know it’s probably nothing, but these statements always kill me.
What would determine hostile intent? There is no way they could tell.
I’m glad that he didn’t get blown out of the sky, but it seems like a grey area there.
We need to divert some money from ACORN and develop an aircraft variant with a tractor beam.
Maybe GM could come up with something – they are going to “solve urban transportation problems” with a 2 wheeled Segway (that no one will use, and most urban residents can’t afford)
http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/07/gm-and-segways-p-u-m-a-unveiled-and-no-this-isnt-a-joke/
A tractor beam makes as much sense.
reaganaut on April 7, 2009 at 11:10 AM
Oh well, a rather expensive suicide-by-cops attempt.
El Coqui on April 7, 2009 at 11:11 AM
So? I’m the only one that matters.
Blake on April 7, 2009 at 11:11 AM
This is a total WASTE of a post. Who cares? The crank pot was caught and all is OK, stick to more salient posts in the future!
Tom66 on April 7, 2009 at 11:12 AM
I don’t know if a Cessna is hot enough for a Sidewinder to lock onto anyway.
MarkTheGreat on April 7, 2009 at 11:12 AM
Dunno. I’m not a pilot but I would guess flying one of these is kind of a hands on all the time deal, plus I doubt there is a fuel tank opening inside the plane. We also don’t know exactly how he pulled off the initial theft,..if he was on a training flight or took it from the ground unauthorized.
a capella on April 7, 2009 at 11:12 AM
You have finally said something that I can agree with.
MarkTheGreat on April 7, 2009 at 11:13 AM
Oh my! He is pleading the Fifth Amendment. He must be complicit. Do they have anything like the Fifth Amendment in Canada?
Hawthorne on April 7, 2009 at 11:13 AM
There was a response. The man was arrested when he landed.
Not all criminal actions require deadly force.
MarkTheGreat on April 7, 2009 at 11:13 AM
The fact that he was flying around population centers could be a clue.
MarkTheGreat on April 7, 2009 at 11:15 AM
Not normally – the fuel caps are on top of the wings. Ferry pilots sometimes install temporary internal tanks though.
Note range specs exclude reserves and favorable winds can extend range as well.
DarkCurrent on April 7, 2009 at 11:15 AM
What makes you think you matter? ;*)
MarkTheGreat on April 7, 2009 at 11:16 AM
I’ve said too much already.
Dave Rywall on April 7, 2009 at 11:09 AM
Too bad you couldn’t admit that a year ago.
Bishop on April 7, 2009 at 11:16 AM
It is after the Vulcan rounds set it on fire.
Muahahahaha
Hawthorne on April 7, 2009 at 11:16 AM
He’s Canadian
/thread
ballz2wallz on April 7, 2009 at 11:16 AM
Hal9000
Calling the 1200 miles
here is the official flight familiarization of the CAP
THere is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY this plane took off from Canada and Made it to Missouri
https://ntc.cap.af.mil/ops/dot/school/C172r1_files/frame.htm
EricPWJohnson on April 7, 2009 at 11:16 AM
Hawthorne on April 7, 2009 at 11:16 AM
lol good one
Alex Martinez on April 7, 2009 at 11:17 AM
At the time he crossed through the UP here the ground winds were moderately strong (guessing 20 to 25 mph) from the NW and NNM, so he probably had a decent tail wind aloft. Ceiling was approx. 2,000 feet, 50% cloud, with occ. very light snow showers.
We don’t have a ANG here in the UP, so it’s the MnANG who buzz my barn all the time. The MiANG are down state, guarding Detroit.
Yoop on April 7, 2009 at 11:18 AM
The guy stole the plane from a FLIGHT SCHOOL.
He did not have time to customise the plane and even if he did he could not have doubled the range as the 172R has a derated engine
and BTW fully loaded it cannot go above 11000 ft unless there are perfect consitions
EricPWJohnson on April 7, 2009 at 11:19 AM
We had an incident here in Tampa shortly after 9/11 where a flight student stole a small plane, flew over MacDill AFB,where Central Command was located, and flew into a building downtown to commit suicide. Fortunately it was on the weekend and the building was empty. Sounds somewhat similar.
vcferlita on April 7, 2009 at 11:19 AM
172s have 4-cylinder engines under 200hp. You could probably confuse the seeker by throwing lit cigarettes out the window.
DarkCurrent on April 7, 2009 at 11:20 AM
HA! Sorry, yahoos. Not this time.
Dave Rywall on April 7, 2009 at 11:00 AM
Obviously it wasn’t you; even Ogabe would have been willing to vector a flight of F-22′s for a shoot down if it had been.
Bishop on April 7, 2009 at 11:20 AM
On the advice of my solicitor, I’m taking the Fifth, ey?
Blake on April 7, 2009 at 11:21 AM
Oh my! He is pleading the Fifth Amendment. He must be complicit. Do they have anything like the Fifth Amendment in Canada?
Hawthorne on April 7, 2009 at 11:13 AM
———
All I’m saying is there may or may not be itching powder in all the Canadian bacon you import for the next little while.
Dave Rywall on April 7, 2009 at 11:21 AM
That would have been a waste of a perfectly good airplane.
AubieJon on April 7, 2009 at 11:24 AM
I think the people commenting about the Cesna not being a threat have not thought out completely the biological attack scenario. How much nerve gas or other toxins could a plane that size carry and how much damage would an air born pathogen do? I’m still not ruling out dry run.
b4itsover on April 7, 2009 at 11:25 AM
I work for Cessna and I think he was pissed that there are so many layoffs here in Wichita, so he decided to help the industry out by giving attention to this travesty.
/
FlyoverJ-HawkFan on April 7, 2009 at 11:25 AM
All our aviation assets, Air and Army, are located in sourthern Wisconsin also.
From Yahoo: “The plane landed about six hours after the reported theft, and had enough fuel for about eight hours of flight, NAADC officials said.”
Does a 172 have 8 hours of fuel onboard?
BadgerHawk on April 7, 2009 at 11:25 AM
Does a 172 have 8 hours of fuel onboard?
BadgerHawk on April 7, 2009 at 11:25 AM
Well according to NAADC………………………..
Alex Martinez on April 7, 2009 at 11:27 AM
He probably landed somewhere and gased up without being noticed. Self-service fuel is commonly available.
DarkCurrent on April 7, 2009 at 11:27 AM
Actually yes. Remember I may be biased, but the best propeller and general aviation aircraft in the world are built by Cessna. If it hadn’t been those fookin msm types bitchin about the automakers flying in their private jets to meet the one, then their might have been less layoffs in the industry.
FlyoverJ-HawkFan on April 7, 2009 at 11:29 AM
Because it wasnt a mass shooting that they could blame on Glenn Beck.
becki51758 on April 7, 2009 at 11:35 AM
The ABC article asks us to guess the religion. Want to start a pool on this?
(Only 1.9% of the population of Canada is Muslim.)
logis on April 7, 2009 at 11:35 AM
A car can carry ten times as much.
A rental van can carry ten’s of thousands as much.
MarkTheGreat on April 7, 2009 at 11:37 AM
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