[iwar] [fc:Dullus-controllers-spotted-the-plane-but...]

From: Fred Cohen (fc@all.net)
Date: 2001-09-11 17:40:24


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Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 17:40:24 -0700 (PDT)
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Subject: [iwar] [fc:Dullus-controllers-spotted-the-plane-but...]
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Air Traffic Controllers Spotted Unidentified Aircraft
Aircraft's Transponder Was Disabled, Rendering Plane Anonymous


By Don Phillips
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, September 11, 2001; 5:22 p.m.

Controllers watching their radar screens at Washington Dulles International
Airport spotted an unidentified aircraft flying at unusually high speed
directly toward the White House early this morning, and warned authorities
minutes before the Boeing 757 turned tightly and circled around to slam into
the Pentagon, according to federal aviation sources.

The controllers could not identify the plane because apparently someone on
board had turned off its transponder--the equipment that sends the plane's
airline, flight number, speed and altitude to radar screens. Tentatively,
the plane was identified as American Flight 77, which had been scheduled to
take off from Dulles at 8:10 a.m. for Los Angeles, with two pilots, four
flight attendants and 58 passengers on board.

The skill with which the plane was flown, including the knowledge of how to
turn off the transponder, raised the probability that a trained pilot was at
the controls, possibly a hijacker.

Sources were not specific about the times of the events, but said that after
leaving Dulles, the plane continued west for a while. At some point,
apparently after turning off the transponder, the plane turned back toward
Washington with no radio contact.

The plane would have appeared on radar screens as an unidentified blip ­
called a "primary target" ­ something commonly seen by controllers when an
aircraft does not have a transponder or is a military aircraft flying with
its transponder turned off. However, the airspace around Dulles, Washington
Reagan National Airport and much of Washington is designated "class B"
airspace, meaning no one is supposed to fly there without a working
transponder and permission from a controller.

The sources said Dulles controllers noticed a fast-moving primary target in
their airspace east-southeast of the airport where it shouldn't be, headed
directly toward the restricted airspace around the White House. They called
controllers at National Airport to tell them that an unidentified
unauthorized aircraft was headed their way.

However, as they watched, the plane began turning to the right away from the
White House, circling a full 270 degrees to the right and approaching the
Pentagon from the Southwest. It then dropped below radar level, disappearing
from the controllers' screens, shortly before hitting the Pentagon about
9:30 a.m., less than an hour after two other aircraft hit the World Trade
Center towers in New York City.

Federal aviation rules limit the speeds of commercial aircraft flying below
10,000 feet. The sources said it appeared this plane was at full throttle.

Controllers then saw that a Boeing 757 identified as United Flight 93,
flying from Newark to San Francisco, had turned toward Washington over
Pennsylvania. However, the United plane crashed for unknown reasons about 10
a.m. about 80 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.

Federal aviation officials are reporting that the transponders had been
turned off on all four of the planes that crashed today, including two that
flew into the World Trade Center.

© 2001 The Washington Post Company

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