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COMMISSIONSENSITIVE
UNCLASSIFIEDEvent:EdBallinger,formerUnitedAirlinesflightdispatcherType:Interview
Prepared
by:
BillJohnstone
SpecialAccessIssues:NoneTeams:7Date:April14,2004Participants(non-Commission):EdwardBallinger;
Sally
Ballinger(EdBallinger'swife);CharlesG.Haskins,Cullen,Haskins,Nicholson
&
MenchettiPC(EdBallinger'sattorney)Participants(Commission):JohnRaidt;BillJohnstoneLocation:GSAConferenceRoom;Washington,DC
Background
[U]Mr.BallingerwenttoworkwithUnitedAirlinesonJanuary28,1958asaweatherclerkintheairline'sdispatchoffice.HeattainedaDispatcherLicenseinDecemberof1967,andbecameafully-fledgeddispatcherinlate1979orearly1980.Mr.BallingerremainedadispatcheruntilhisretirementonOctober31,2001·1
,
[U]On91ll/0I,Mr.BallingerwasthedispatcherincommandforallUnited'seastcoasttowestcoastflights,whichtotaled16andincludedbothflights175and93.
DispatcherResponsibilities
[UJWhenaskedtodefinehisroleasadispatcher,BallingercitedprovisionsinTitle14CFRPart121,whichcoversoperatingrequirementsforairlines.Inparticular,hecalledattentiontotheprovisionsofsection121.533"Responsibilityforoperationalcontrol:Domesticoperations"(whichwaspromulgatedinDecemberof1964andlastupdatedinJanuaryof1996):
(a)Eachcertificateholderconductingdomesticoperationsisresponsibleforoperational
control.
COMMISSIONSENSITIVE
UNCLASSIFIED
 
COMMISSIONSENSITIVEUNCLASSIFIED
(b)Thepilotincommandandtheaircraftdispatcherarejointlyresponsibleforthepreflightplanning,delay,anddispatchreleaseofaflightincompliancewiththischapterandoperationsspecifications.(c)Theaircraftdispatcherisresponsiblefor-(1)Monitoringtheprogressofeachflight;(2)Issuingnecessaryinformationforthesafetyoftheflight;and(3)Cancellingorredispatchingaflightif,inhisopinionortheopinionofthepilotincommand,theflightcannotoperateorcontinuetooperatesafelyasplannedorreleased.(d)Eachpilotincommandofanaircraftis,duringflighttime,incommandoftheaircraftandcrewandisresponsibleforthesafetyofthepassengers,crewmembers,cargoandairplane..(e)Eachpilotincommandhasfullcontrolandauthorityintheoperationoftheaircraft,withoutlimitation,overothercrewmembersandtheirdutiesduringflighttime,whetherornotheholdsvalidcertificatesauthorizinghimtoperformthedutiesofthosecrewmembers.[Source:ElectronicCodeofFederalRegulations,Title14,SubpartT-FlightOperations,section121.533athttp://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov]
COMMISSIONSENSITIVEUNCLASSIFIED2[U]BallingerindicatedthatUnitedadheredfullytotheprovisionsofsection121.533,andthatthiswasagooddescriptionofhisresponsibilitiesasaflightdispatcher.Hemadethepointthatthislanguageclearlygavehim,asadispatcher,equalresponsibilitywiththepilotincommandinmakingadeterminationastowhetheraflightshouldbeallowedtotakeoff.Therefore,hefelthewasentitledtoreceiveanyrelevantinformationthatwouldaffectthatdecision.HealsocitedFAR121.591whichlaysoutthatapilotandadispatcherarebothincommandandmustagreeonissuessuchasfuelloadandrouteofflightetc.Ifthepilotanddispatchercan'tagreethenthemostconservativepoint-of-viewmustprevail.TheFARalsorequiresadispatcher'sapprovalbeforeacommercialflightisclearedtodepart.BallingerindicatedthatUnitedrequirednoadditionaldutiesofhimthanwhatwererequiredundertheapplicablefederalregulations.:
TheDayofSeptember11,2001
[U]
In
goingovertheeventsoftheday,Mr.BallingerhadreferencetodocumentsconcerningthetimelinehehadpreparedimmediatelyaftertheeventsandlogsofhisACARSmessages.HemadetheseavailabletoCommissionstaffaswell.(NOTE:Theyappeartobeidenticalwithdocumentspreviouslysupplied
by
UnitedAirlines.)[U]Ballingercameintoworkatapproximately7a.m.CentralTime(8a.m.
Eastern;allsubsequenttimereferencesinthismemowillbeinEasternTime).He
indicatedthathewasrelievingtwodispatchers,whoreportednoproblemsor
 
COMMISSIONSENSITIVEUNCLASSIFIED
anythingunusualfromtheir~hlf[···H~.s.~idthatthemostremarkablefeatureofthedayatthatpointwasthe"perfectweather~~~""""""'"
...
..
..
.
.
.
...
•
'
....
\...WhenMr.Ballingercameinhesaw
an
ACARSmessages~~fby·d
I
--,'ofUAMaintenanceto175sayingsomethingtotheeftectthatheardofincidentaboard"at8:59a.m.
[U]
Mr.BallingersharedwithCommissionstaffthevariouswaysthatheasadispatchercancontactanaircraftunderhisauthority,including:
\....
Sendingan
ACARS
(aircraftcommunicationandresponsesystem):thisisane-mailmessagethatcanbesentoneoftwoways:eitherasabellthatchimestolet
the
flightdeckknowtheyhave
an
electronicmessageonthescreenorasahardmessagethatautomaticallyprintsataconsoleinbetweenthepilotandfirstoffi~,~r'sseats.2.SE~CAL:an
ACARS
voicecommunicationwhichcanbeplacedthrough
Airinc.....
~3.DirectRadiocontact:Mr.Ballingersaidthatifhewishedtocallanairplane,he......adthecapabilitytocontactitdirectlybyradio.Mr.Ballingerstatedthat\"dispatchers-didnothavetheabilitytomonitortheradiocommunicationsbetween"FAAAirTrafficControlandtheflightdeck.
[0]
Commissionstaffprovided
Mr.
Ballingerwithanumberoftime-sequenced9(11eventsrelatedtoUnitedFlights175and93.Hedidnotrecallreceivinganyreportofthe8:4'1.a.m.communicationbetweentheflightcrewofFlight175andthe,.AirTraffic
Control(ATC)
Systeminwhichtheformerindicatedtheyhadheard"suspicioustransmissions"from
an
aircraftthatturnedouttobeAmericanAirlinesFlight11..'Ballingerindicatedthathedidnothavethecapabilityto"listenin"tocommunicationsbetweenhisflightsandairtrafficcontrol.Furthermore,hedid
not
feelthatATCwasunderanyobligationtosharesuchinformationwith
himbecause
it
didn'tapparentlyaffectthesafetyofanyofhisflights.norwashesurprisedthattheflightcrewcontactedATCinsteadofhim.[U]Ballingerdidnotlearn,onofthe8:47a.m.changeofbeaconcodesonFlightI?5.Onceagain,he.indicatedthathewouldhavehadnoexpectationofreceivingsuchinformationfromATC.Hewasinformedofthe8:50a.m.conversationbetweenUAL'1
tm
dHerndonATCcommandcentersometime....fierithadtakenpace,buthecouldnotrecallexactlywhen.(NOTE:Inthiscallr--leamedthatthefirstWTCcrashwasofanAmericanAirlineswide-bodi~ft.)[U]On9/11,Mr.Ballingerwasnotmadeawareofeitherthe8:51a.m.deviationfromcoursebyFlight175,orthe8:52a.m.attempt
by
NewYork
ATe
tocontact
theflight.Againinbothcaseshewouldhavehadnoexpectationofreceiving
COMMISSIONSENSITIVEUNCLASSIFIED
3
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