The June 9 air scare that evacuated the U.S. Capitol and almost got Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher's plane shot down is still sending shudders through official Washington, D.C. Yet some federal officials are still in deep denial over that air security breakdown on a day it was supposed to be extra-tight for bringing in former President Reagan's body to lie in state.

Congress needs to stop guarding its air travel perks and take a hard, post-9-11 look at whether Washington's 16-mile no-fly zone needs to be extended, and whether Reagan National Airport should be shut down altogether.

Fletcher's state police plane intruded deep inside the no-fly zone and exposed flaws in the capital's air security system, but that will be a blessing only if federal officials learn from it.

Fletcher's pilot notified the Federal Aviation Administration in Ohio that its transponder had malfunctioned, but the FAA failed to notify controllers in the Washington area. On radar, the plane was misidentified as a potential air threat only minutes from the center of Washington. Capitol police emptied the building. Fletcher's pilot reportedly already turned to land at Reagan before two airborne F-15 fighter planes could get in position to shoot down the plane.

Security officials claim they have fixed incompatible computers and other glitches since June 9, but that was just a false alarm. Some privately confided that Washington's air security system is designed chiefly to stop a second-wave threat and not a determined first terror attack. Imagine if June 9 had been coordinated, multiple attacks like 9-11.

At hearings last week, Rep. Jim Turner, D-Texas, asked, "Does the existing no-fly zone around our nation's capital give sufficient time to intercept a terrorist-controlled flight?" Not if the Fletcher flight is an indicator.

Yet some members of Congress argue instead that Reagan airport should be reopened to private aircraft because the no-fly rules are waived for commercial aircraft and many special flights by high-placed government officials. Go figure.

Saving the Capitol or White House should not be left at risk for convenient flights home by federal officials. Everything ought to be on the table, including closing Reagan airport.