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 ORANDU FORTH R CORD
M Kofon
 
Event:LindaJustice,AirTrafficController,Area6(ImperialSector)ClevelandARTCCTypeofevent:InterviewDate:October2,2003SpecialAccessIssues:NonePreparedby:LisaSullivanTeamNumber:8Location:ClevelandAirTrafficControlCenterParticipants-Non-Commission:LindaJustice,CLECenterandMichaelMcKinley,FAAAttorneyParticipants-Commission:JohnFarmer,DanaHyde,andLisaSullivanLindaJusticeisaairtrafficcontrollerinArea6forImperialSectoron9-11.Shewasa911policedispatcherinChicagobeforebecominganairtrafficcontroller.ShestartedoutinChicagoCenterfor3yearsandwastransferredtoClevelandafterthat.Shehasbeenacontrollerfor21years.Shesaidshehasregularrefreshertrainingeveryyear,usuallythroughCBIlab,VHS,oramemoonhijacking.Insimulationlabsrepresentinghijackscenarios,thecontrollerhastolookforthemtosay trip andsquakadifferentmode. Squak or trip aresignalstothecontrollerofahijacking.Deviatingfromthecourseortransponderswitchwasneverincorporatedintothesimulation.Intheeventaplanewent NORDO thecontrollerwouldcheckwiththepreviouscontroller,nextcontroller;finallythecontrollerwouldgetintouchwiththeaircarrier.Primarytargetsareconfusinginahighpressurearea.Sheexperiencedthissituation(NORDOandnotransponder)onetimebeforeinChicago.
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wasamilitaryplane.Thecontrollerhandingofftoherlosttheprimarytargetanddelayedintellingheraboutit,andhewasveryclosetoalotofplanes.Thiswas20yearsago.Guybeforemelosthim.Bythetimetheyfoundhim,hehadflownthroughtwootherairspaces.Theycalledeverybodyaskingsomeonefoundhim.Hehadgonethroughtwoothersairspaces.
 
wasaveryuncomfortablesituationat17,000feetduringtheeastboundpushoutofO'Hare.COMMISSIONSENSITIVE
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COMMISSIONSENSITIVEUNCLASSIFIEDShereiterated, WhetherornotNORADwouldbeinvolved,myonlyresponsibilitywastotellthesupervisor. ShewasontheD-side,soshedidnothearthefrequency.Onlythecontrollerlistenstothefrequency. Thecontrollerwouldcontinuetotryandcommunicatewiththeplane.Thegoalistogetthemostinformationoutoftheplaneasyoucan. Pre9-11,theconceptofSCATANAwasforeigntoher.Shedidn'trememberwhatthetermmeantotherthanthatitcamefromthe1970s.Shethoughtitmightbeascenariosetupforlandingalltheplanes.Shehadthe7AMshifton9-11.Sheworkedonesessionandtookabreakforbreakfast.ShewasinAlleghenyDsideAREA6resumedworking.HersupervisorsaidsomethingaboutaplanecrashingintotheWTC.Sherememberssheaccusedhimofbeingaliar.Shedidn'tbelieveit.AndyLanders,whohassinceretired,wassayingthis.Finally,sherealizedhewasserious.ShebelievestheprocesswasunderwaytolandalltheplaneswhenUA93was comingbackatus (meaningeastbound).First,sheheardofUA93havingaproblem.ShemovedfromAlleghenytoImperialbecausealltheplaneswerecomingdownanditwas.atalowerlevel.Someonecalledfro,Lorainsectorandtoldherthattheplanehadshutoffitstransponder.Hegaveheratrackandhepointeditouttoeveryonebecausetherewasnosecondarytrackonit.Briggs,Tyrone,andIndianhead(alllowairspacewithintheCenter)wereallnotified.LorainhandedUA93offtoherrightbeforeenteringImperial.Indianhead/ImperialspacewaswhereUA93waslocatedwhenhecrashed.Technically,hewasinIndianhead(area5).Originally,shetriedtohandhimofftoWashingtonCenterbecauseshethoughthewasgoingbackthereandthenfinallyshereceivedareportofaplaneflyingat8,000feet.IfthatplanewasUA93,sheknewitwouldn'tmakeittoWashingtonCenter.Whenshesawtheplanewasheadingeastbound,shechangedtheroutingoftheplane. Theeasiestwaytodoahandoffistochangetheflightplan, shesaid.ShechangedtheplantoshowthatWashingtonCenterwastherecipient.Inheropinion,itwasanunpopulardecisionbecause ThatisalsowhereCampDavidis. ThecontroversialstepwasputtinginHagerstownbecausethemisconceptionwasthatshehadcommunicatedwiththeplaneandcleareditthrough.Thetagread, Hagerstown-National. Before,thetaghadreadLAX(itsoriginaldestination).ThenextstepshetookwastocallPotomactotellthemtopullupthedatablock.
 
wascleartothemthatshehadcreatedthe destination inordertomakeiteasiertofindtheplane.Withinoneminute,shetookthehand-offbackbecauseUA93hadagainchangeddirections.Ifhehadcontinuedflyinginherairspace,shewouldhavehadhimforplentyoftime.Instead,she watchedhimdisappearofftheradarscope-Ua93had2-3radarreturnsat8,200feetandthenitwasgone. COMMISSIONSENSITIVEUNCLASSIFIED
 
 
COMMISSIONSENSITIVEUNCLASSIFIEDBillKeatonwasworkingtheradarinIndianheadsector,whichisataloweraltitudethanImperial.HeturnedaC-130backtoinvestigatethesourceofthesmoke.ThepilotconfirmedtothecontrollerthatUA93hadcrashed.Timeofthecrash,accordingtoClevelnadCenter,is10:03a.m.Shekeptworkingotherplanes,helpingthemtoland.Oncesectorswerecleared,controllersweremadetoleavethebuildingbecausetherewasthoughttobeathreattotheCenter.JusticecommentedthatKeatonhadaskedpilotstoturnbacktoinvestigatethesmoke,andtheC-130waswillingtodoit.Inthesituation, therearenorules;noprotocolsonwhatanATCcandirectapilottodo. Pilotswereverycooperative,veryhelpfulthatday...
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maybehelpfultohaveclearerguidanceonATCandpilotsprotocols,butshedoesnotthinkthatisnecessary.
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isanissueofcommonsenseratherthanprotocol, Justicesaid.Furthermore,shedoesnotthinksomethinglikethiswouldeverhappenagam.ShethoughtScatanatrainingwasn'tallthatusefulforwhattheyfacedon9-11.Shethoughtthechainofcommandonthefloorwastight.KimWemica,Gary,Kettelwereallthereandveryvisible.Shedoesn'trememberthemilitary'Sinvolvement.Specifically,shedoesn'trememberotherfightersintheair.Shestressedthedifficultassociatedwithasituationinwhichthecontrollerdoesnotknowwhataltitudetheplanewasflyingat.Manywereworkingonthepresumptiontheplanewasstilluphigh.Tohavedisappearedsoquicklymeantthatsomethinghadhappenedtotheplane.ThereweremilitaryaircraftslocatedaboutPittsburgh,shethought.ThereportthatUA93wasat8000feetcameasasurprise. 8000feettothegroundislikenothing, shesaid.Planesarereroutedallthetimebecauseofchangingweatherconditions.Thisisnotunusual.Thesamethinghappenswithmechanicaldifficulties.BackwhenshegotthehandoffshebelieveditwasheadingtowardDC.
 
lookedlikehewasheadingrightdowntheshoottraveledbyallwestbounddeparturesfromDC.Whyweren'tallplanesgivenwarning?Whyweren'tthecontrollersmoredirectwithpilots?Justicethoughtthatitwastheaircarrier'sresponsibilitytocommunicatetothepilotsthatmorning.Thecontrollersdidn'twanttoendangerthepilotsthatmightbeinacompromisedsituation.Sheisnottrainedtosay youarebeinghijacked? overthefrequency.HerunderstandingwasthattheACARSsystemwouldconveythemessage.Shethinksshewastoldthat.Inheropinion,thepilotsmusthavebeenawareofwhatwasgoingonbecausetheyweren'tquestioningthecontrollers'decisionstobringthemdown.COMMISSIONSENSITIVEUNCLASSIFIED3

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