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COMMISSIONSENSITIVEUNCLASSIFIEDCOMMISSIONSENSITIVEUNCLASSIFIED
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Event:RichardKettel,AirTrafficManagerofClevelandARTCCTypeofevent:InterviewDate:October1,2003SpecialAccessIssues:NonePreparedby:LisaSullivanTeamNumber:8Location:ClevelandAirTrafficControlCenterParticipants-Non-Commission:RichardKettel,AirTrafficManagerofClevelandARTCCandMichaelMcKinley,FAAattorneyParticipants-Commission:JohnFarmer,DanaHyde,andLisaSullivanKettelsaidhispersonalstatementontheeventsof9-11andhisinvolvementwasincludedintheaccidentpackagesenttotheGreatLakesRegionalHeadquarters.HeremembersthattheDaveKnowleswasalsoonthetelconwithhimintheTMUthatmorning.Hedoesnotknowifitwasarecordedline.Thephonebridge(telcon)wascreatedinWashington,whichhejoinedafterthe"CommandPost"intheTMUwassetup.BobHerak,theQualityAssuranceManager,wouldknowifthecallwasrecorded.Hewassittingatfarleftscopewhensitting.atthewatchdesk.TMUusesittoobservetrafficflows.Probablywasn'trecordedatthetime.HesaidhereceivedbasicbackgroundinairtrafficcontrolduringhistimeintheAirForce.HelookedintogettingajobwiththeFAAin1976,buttheyweren'thiringatthattime.Heworkedonfortherailroadforawhile,andthengothiredtoworkinacontroltowerinRochester,NYin'81.Hewasacontrollertherefor5years,andthenhewenttoClevelandCenterasanasstmanager;Atlantainevaluationsbranch(didalotofflyingatthatpoint);wenttoColumbusasmanagerofthattower;andreturnedtoClevelandCenterastheManagerofthefacilityinSeptemberof2000.Asof9-11,hewasinthepositionforaboutayear.Intermsofprocedures,whatwasnormaltodoinhijacksituation?Sincethe1970swhenhijackingwas"envogue,"thepointwastonotifytheauthorities,isolatetheairplane,andtoprovidewhatservicesthecontrollercould,withoutjeopardizingthesafetyofthecrewandpassengers.Hedoesn'tknowifthathaschangedasaresultof9-1l.Operationsmanagershaveachecklistofwhotocontactintheeventofahijacking.Firstonthelistis
 
COMMISSIONSENSITIVEUNCLASSIFIEDlawenforcement.Atanairport,theLEOswouldbelocal,forinstance.Iftheeventtakesplaceintheair,theRCC(regionalcommunicationscenter)wouldbecontacted.HesaidthatitistheresponsibilityoftheRCCtocontactthemilitary.wouldbetheirresponsibilitytocontactthemilitaryifaplanewentmissing,aswell.Kettelsaid,"LeavethatalluptotheRCC."RCCisthemilitarycounterparttotheFAA.Hethinksitissetupregionally,andthatitisapartoftheAirForce.
It
helpswith"unusualstuff,"suchassearchandrescuemissions.NORADwasnotonthelistfortheoperationsmanagementposition.Hehasn'tworkedthatpositionsincethe1970s.Operationsmanageralwaystalkstothemilitarydirectlyinemergencies,etc.Kettelrecommendedthatwelookathischecklist.BobHerakwouldhaverecordsofchangestothechecklist.Thereisnotmuchthatlawenforcementofficialscandowhensituationisintheair.RelationshipbetweenFAAandNORADbefore9-11?Didtheyhavearoleinthehijackingresponse?RelationshipbetweenFAAandNORADwas"lessdirect"thanitistoday.Whatwe
need
istobeabletomakeonecallintheeventofahijack.Don'thavethetimetomakemultiplecalls,especiallywhentheplaneistraversingairspaces.KettelsaidheusedtodealwithNORADwhenplanningmissions;intermsofblockingairspaceforthemandpreplanningtheirroute.KettelthinksClevelandCenterwasunabletocontactNORADdirectlyon9-11,buthethinkstheywereonthephonebridge.COMMISSIONSENSITIVEUNCLASSIFIED2Howwould
a
controllerdetectahijacksituation?Usually,thepilotneedstoreachouttothecontroller."Squak,"or"trip,"areindicationstothecontroller.NORDOplusdeviation(theradicaltumofUA93took,forinstance)ledWerthtoinfertheplanewashijacked.Kettelthought,"thecontrollersinBostonwereontheball."WhentheClevelandcontrollersheardsimilartransmissions,theyknewitcouldpossiblybeanotherhijacking.TheArabvoicemadethemmorecertainofthehijacking,inadditiontothelackoftransponderandradio.Kettelsaid,"Hisjobisnottodeterminewhatitis,itistodealwiththesituationathand.""Now,inpost9-11world,itisthecontroller'sresponsibilitytoidentifytheproblemaswellasdealwiththesituation.Securityisanaddedelementoftheirjob,inadditiontosafety."Kettelthoughtsomeofthehijackedplaneson9-11"werenotdetectedwhentheyshouldhavebeen...butoverallperformedwell."Additionalserviceslistcomesup...
 
COMMISSIONSENSITIVEUNCLASSIFIED
Commissionstaffasked,"Inapost9-11world,whopushestheNORADbutton?TMU,OM,MilitarySpecialist?"Kettelreplied,"ThefirstthingyoudoisgototheDEN.Now,wehavedirectlinestospecificmilitarygroups."On9-11,Garywasoutatacommitment.Kettel'sfirstrecollectionfromthatmorningisthatheheardfromsomeoneinoperationsthatsomethingwaswronginBoston;thattheyhadlostaplanethatwascominghisway.Thatwasunusual."Hesaidthathe,"happened"togointothecafeteriaintimetoseetheplanethathittheWorldTradeCenter.Hewatchedthesecondonehitlive.Immediately,hewentbacktotheTMUandestablishedacommandpost.Hesaidthatatthistime,NewYorkhadalreadymadethedecisionnottoacceptmoreairplanes.He(theCenter)washoldingeverythingboundfortheeastcoast.FirstthinghedidwastelltheOperationsManagertocontactthecontrollerstoidentifyanyplanethat
fit
profileofBOStoLAX.ThatwaswhentheyidentifiedtheDelta1989flight.haddeparted
5
minutesaftertheAA]
1.
Thecontrollerswere
all
watchinghimonthescreens.KettelreportedthatTomKerinkowascontactedby"someonefromthemilitary"thattoldhimtheDeltaflighthadabombonboard(Kettelclarifiedthatthemilitarypersondidnotsayitwasahijackduringthiscall).KetteltoldWoberstocontactDeltaaboutit.KettelsaidhewenttoLorainSectortogetthefrequencypatchedintotheTMU,whereateleconferencewasalreadybeingsetup.MarkEvansheard'fromtheCommandCentertocallintoaspecificnumber.Kettelthoughtthat
it
wasthemilitarythatfirstcalledaboutDelta1989;nottheCommandCenterorBostoncontrollers.HefirstlearnedthatUA93couldbeaproblemthoughtKimWernica.Hesa~dJ._~_...She'toldhimaboutthetransmissioncomingoutofLorainsectorabout;'abombonboard.HepunchedupthefrequencyintheTMUin
timetohear
thesecond:transmission,loudandclear.
Hi
isnotsureifhewasonthetel~9n'atthatpoint.Heenteredthete1conlaterthanwhen
it
began.Hesai~)ha{hewas"allovertheplace"tellingpeoplenottosay"anything"overthe
frequency.
Peopleonthegroundmonitorthefrequenciesusedbyairtrafficcontrollers
all-the
time.Itwasapparentatthetimethatthehijackingswereacoordinatedeffort.
Noone
knewwhowasinvolved.Hethinkstheairtrafficcontrollers'actionsmay
have-thwarted
otherplots.Whowasonthete1con?.:fND)BOS,NY,andCommandcenterswereonit.Intermsofkeyindividuals,herememberedDave
Knowles
(and)Hatfield(?).
He
believesthemilitarywasonit.HeremembersthathavebeenonthecallearlierthanheoriginallythoughtbecauseheremembersthatKnowlesinitiallywasaskinghimaboutAA77,becauseIndianapolis
Centerlosthim.
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