A Florida postal carrier steered his small gyrocopter through protected Washington airspace for 30 miles to the U.S. Capitol , tracked by the nation 's top security agencies , which feared harming tourists on the National Mall if they tried to shoot him down , senior lawmakers said Wednesday . Doug Hughes , 61 , is 'lucky to be alive ' and 'should have been blown out of the air , ' Rep. Jason Chaffetz , R-Utah , chairman of the House Oversight committee , told reporters just days after the incident that exposed a gap in the government 's efforts to ensure the security of the White House , Capitol and other critical buildings in Washington . Senior officials from the Secret Service and Capitol Police briefed top House members behind closed doors . Scroll down for video . Press conference : Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Rep. Jason Chaffetz , R-Utah , left , and ranking member Rep. Elijah Cummins , D-Md. , speak with reporters on Wednesday . Pilot : The man who piloted the gyrocopter and landed on the West Lawn , 61-year-old Doug Hughes , is 'lucky to be alive ' and 'should have been blown out of the air , ' Chaffetz said . Campaign : Hughes ' stunt was aimed at drawing attention to campaign finance reform . Chaffetz said security tracked Hughes as he approached the Capitol last week after taking off from Gettysburg , Pennsylvania . A 'judgment call ' was made not to shoot Hughes down , Chaffetz said . Rep. Elijah Cummings , D-Md. , said officials were concerned about injuring people on the ground if an attempt was made to shoot down Hughes . Chaffetz said a combination of 'lack of communication and some human error ' by Capitol Police and other officials allowed Hughes to steer his tiny aircraft within a few hundred feet of the Capitol before landing on the West Lawn . Chaffetz said he was deeply concerned at ' a lack of coordination and communication ' among law enforcement agencies charged with what he called ' a no-fail mission ' to protect the Capitol and other important sites in Washington , including the White House . Cummings called the incident a 'wake-up call ' to all law enforcement agencies involved . Capitol Police , the Secret Service and other agencies need 'to look very carefully at what happened here , dissect it , figure it out and use this to make things better , ' Cummings said . Cummings and Chaffetz said they were outraged that members of Congress were not alerted to the potential security threat even as parts of the Capitol complex were placed under lockdown . 'That 's inexcusable , ' Chaffetz said . Chaffetz and Cummings said they will hold a hearing on the incident next week with representatives of six agencies : the Secret Service , Capitol Police , Congress ' Sergeant at Arms , the Federal Aviation Administration , North American Aerospace Defense Command ( NORAD ) and the U.S. Park Police . Three of the agencies - the FAA , NORAD and the park police - were no-shows at Wednesday 's briefing , irking lawmakers . Rep. Elijah Cummings , D-Md. , said officials were concerned about injuring people on the ground if an attempt was made to shoot down Hughes . Security : Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said last week that Hughes 'literally flew under the radar ' to the Capitol lawn , but added that it 's too soon to say whether security changes are needed . Issues : Hughes was charged with two federal crimes , violating restricted airspace and operating an unregistered aircraft . The crimes carry penalties of up to four years in prison and fines . 'They 've got a lot of explaining to do ' about why they did not attend the briefing , Chaffetz said . Lawmakers were told during the briefing that 'incursions ' into the restricted air space around Washington occur nearly every day and are usually 'dealt with in a smooth and professional manner , ' Chaffetz said , in stark contrast to the gyrocopter incident . Lawmakers raised alarms about security after Hughes ' stunt , which was aimed at drawing attention to campaign finance reform . Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said last week that Hughes 'literally flew under the radar ' to the Capitol lawn , but added that it 's too soon to say whether security changes are needed . 'We are a democracy . We do n't have fences around our airspace , so we 've got to find the right balance between living in a free and open society , and security and the protection of federal buildings , ' Johnson said . Chaffetz said there is a 'heightened awareness ' about the risks of small aircraft in the wake of the gyrocopter stunt . Anyone who enters restricted airspace now will have ' a major problem , ' Cummings said . Hughes was charged with two federal crimes , violating restricted airspace and operating an unregistered aircraft . The crimes carry penalties of up to four years in prison and fines . Hughes ' next court appearance is May 8 .
Doug Hughes , 61 , steered his small gyrocopter through protected Washington airspace for 30 miles to the U.S. Capitol . Rep. ChaffetzJason Chaffetz said Hughes 'should have been blown out of the air ' Jason Chaffetz said security tracked Hughes as he approached the Capitol last week after taking off from Gettysburg , Pennsylvania . A 'judgment call ' was made not to shoot Hughes down , Jason Chaffetz said . Rep. Elijah Cummings said officials were concerned about injuring people on the ground if an attempt was made to shoot down Hughes . Hughes landed the gyrocopter on the West Lawn . He was charged with two federal crimes , violating restricted airspace and operating an unregistered aircraft .