Federal Aviation Administration investigating aircraft that landed at U.S. Capitol

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating Wednesday's landing of a small, open-air helicopter on the U.S. Capitol's grounds, and said in a statement that the pilot of the "gyro copter" was not in contact with air traffic controllers or authorized to enter restricted airspace.

Security rules for the Capitol and the District of Columbia prohibit private aircraft flights without prior permission, according to the FAA. Anyone violating those airspace restrictions may face civil and criminal penalties.