Project Thread: Unanswered Questions On The Official Account Of 5/11

[althecat]

How many ways can you skin a cat… the continuing mystery of what really happened on 511. Examining the official report. Remarkably the account published by the Washington Post on Saturday is MARKEDLY DIFFERENT than that published the day after the event. Which is correct is anyone's guess at this stage. There are definitely still many unanswered questions about what happened.. one might have thought that after all the confusion that has developed over 9/11timelines the authorities might have got a bit better at telling their story. This is not rocket science.

Today's Washpost report (link below) says it is based on a " A log prepared by federal security officials " of events provided to the paper. At the very least the reporters writing this story have failed dismally to explain the timeline in a manner that makes any sense. And immediately questions are raised about the difference between the two accounts. One of the actual day and the other two days later. Given that this must have been one of the most intense 30 minutes in the experience of the aviation and security personnel involved something a little more definitive might have been expected.

I would appreciate it if people could extract relevant segments of the timeline of events from other published accounts and try to make sense of them. As usual when the Washpost fails to do its job it seems to be left up to us to try and read between the lines.

Al

*********

From the Wash Post reports:
Confused Fliers Trigger Capital Scare
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/11/AR2005051100887.html
&
Pilot Was Ill-Prepared, Froze in Flight, FAA Says
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/13/AR2005051301570.html?nav=hcmodule

Copy from second report is indented - like so

MY COMMENTS & QUESTIONS IN CAPITALS

The two aviators were identified as Hayden L. "Jim" Sheaffer, 69, a truck driver from Lititz, Pa., north of Lancaster, and Troy Martin, 36, a vacuum cleaner system salesman from Akron, seven miles away. They were released without charges after authorities determined that they posed no security threat.

WHO ARE THESE TWO PILOTS?

Sheaffer and Troy Martin have been unavailable to comment since federal authorities released them Wednesday. They were forced down about 90 minutes after they took off from an airport in Smoketown, Pa., near Lancaster, headed for an air show in Lumberton, N.C.
Some neighbors said they were mystified about the whereabouts of the two men and their families. At the Sheaffer home in Warwick Township, Pa., no one answered the door or telephone. About 10 miles away, at Martin's residence in Akron, Pa., a note on the door asked reporters to go away. No one answered the door or phone there, either. A next-door neighbor, Cindy Hamill, said of the Martins: "This family's in crisis."

SO NOT MUCH MORE THERE…. UNDERSTANDABLE I GUESS BUT I WONDER IF THEY WILL EVER TELL THEIR STORY DIRECTLY?

The men departed at 10:58 a.m. from the small airport at Smoketown, about 12 miles from their homes in the middle of Lancaster County farm country.

They were forced down about 90 minutes after they took off from an airport in Smoketown, Pa., near Lancaster, headed for an air show in Lumberton, N.C.

SO THEY HEADED SOUTH TO WASHINGTON. A MAP OF WHERE THESE TWO PLACES ARE WOULD BE HELPFUL.

Twenty-five minutes later, an FAA air traffic controller monitoring airspace around Baltimore noticed a small aircraft 45 miles north of the Capitol heading for Washington's restricted airspace.

SO THEY WERE NOTICED AT 11:23am ACTING OUTSIDE RULES... 45 MILES OR 22 MINS AWAY FROM WHITEHOUSE.

The pilot was not in contact with controllers as required for private fliers. FAA controllers immediately alerted agencies on the Domestic Events Network, a special communications system used to notify all agencies that protect the capital's airspace.

AND FIVE MINUTES LATER 11.28 ENTERED A RESTRICTED ZONE...

At 11:28 a.m., trackers spotted the plane entering the Air Defense Identification Zone, the 2,000-square-mile area around Washington that requires private planes to remain in radio contact with controllers. The plane entered the zone from an area 30 miles north of Reagan National Airport, but its radio was not tuned to the right frequency.

RADIO TUNED OUT... IS IT POSSIBLE TO BROADCAST TO A PLANE ON MORE THAN ONE FREQUENCY? IF THEY WERE ON THE WRONG FREQUENCY WHAT FREQUENCY WERE THEY ON? WERE OTHER FREQUENCIES TRIED?

Shortly after 11:30, the Cessna turned east toward Baltimore, then moments later turned south.

SO THE PLANE DEFTLY SOLD THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS A DUMMY AND BOUGHT THEMSELVES 17 MINUTES (OF THE 22 MINUTES THEY HAD TO GET THEM TO THE WHITE HOUSE).

At 11:47, the Customs and Border Protection agency scrambled a Black Hawk helicopter and Citation jet from Reagan National Airport to intercept the plane.

WHEN WAS CUSTOMS AND BPA NOTIFIED THAT THE PLANE WAS INBOUND IN A RESTRICTED ZONE. WHY DOES IT TAKE 17 MINUTES TO SCRAMBLE A COPTER AND JET?

The log shows that the Black Hawk was airborne by 11:55 a.m., as the plane kept heading into Washington. Five minutes later, the log says that "fighters are on the target" and that "flares are authorized."

SO WAS IT SCRAMBLED AT 11.47 OR 11.55? PERHAPS THIS MEANS THE ORDER TO SCRAMBLE WASN'T GIVEN TILL 11:47 AND THE ACTUAL SCRAMBLE TOOK PLACE AT 11:55. IN WHICH CASE THE NEXT BIT FROM THE FIRST STORY MUST BE WRONG.

Authorities said the Black Hawk reached the Cessna first, at 11:56, followed by the Citation minutes later.

NEVERTHELESS THE BLACKHAWK STEPPED ON IT AND GOT TO THE PLANE EXTREMELY FAST. CREDIT TO THEM.... (OR NOT… ABOUT NOW THE OFFICIAL TIMELINE GOES AWRY AS YOU WILL SEE.)

Neither could get the Cessna's attention.

HOW ON EARTH CAN A BLACKHAWK HELICOPTER FAIL TO GET THE ATTENTION OF THE PILOT OF A CESSNA? ONE IS A LARGE BLACK MILITARY HELICOPTER THE OTHER A TINY 1000 POUND PLANE?

Hayden "Jim" Sheaffer, 69, froze when he saw a Black Hawk helicopter appear near his right wing while flying toward the White House and had difficulty operating his small, single-engine aircraft, officials said yesterday. It took the valiant effort of Sheaffer's student-pilot companion, Troy D. Martin, who had only 30 logged hours of flight time, to take over the controls and land the plane at an airport in Frederick, officials said.

SO STORY CHANGES… HE DID SEE THE BLACKHAWK BUT FROZE.

As the Cessna closed in, flying at 2,500 feet, alert levels started to jump across the city.

PLANE IS FLYING AT 900 METERS. WHAT WAS THE VISIBILITY... FROM ALL THE PHOTOS IT LOOKED LIKE A NICE DAY. FROM 900 METERS THE MALL AND WASHINGTON MONUMENT OUGHT TO STAND OUT RATHER CLEARLY I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT.

At 12:03 p.m., the White House went to code red, with the aircraft within three miles.

AIRCRAFT IS NOW WITHIN 3 MILES TRAVELLING AT 120 MILES AN HOUR (2 miles a minute) BLACKHAWK HAS BEEN WITH IT FOR SEVEN MINUTES AND HAS FAILED TO GET ITS ATTENTION.

At 12:04, the log shows the missiles were about to be used.

IN OTHER WORDS THE BALLOON GOES UP AT APPROX 12:03-04

The customs aircraft, meanwhile, had been urgently trying to get the Cessna's attention. The crews of one or both aircraft held up a sign in their cockpits bearing the radio frequency the Cessna should tune to, officials said.

CUSTOMS AIRCRAFT HOLDS UP SIGN IN THE WINDOW.

Those on the small plane apparently saw the sign, made radio contact, but refused at first to turn back, officials said.

SO SURROUNDED BY A BLACKHAWK AND A GOVT JET WITH PILOTS WAVING FRANTICALLY AND EVEN AFTER ANSWERING A RADIO CALL - WITH A ROOKIE PILOT IN THE SEAT HEADING DIRECTLY FOR THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT AT 900 METERS THESE CLOWNS CONTINUE TO RESIST?

IS THIS A BIT ODD?

"No," the federal pilots ordered, "this is federal law enforcement. You will land that aircraft." Finally, at 12:06 p.m., flying over Northwest Washington, the Air Force fighters arrived, fired warning flares, and the Cessna fliers realized that they were in trouble.

….and…

It was only when the F-16s fired four bright flares across the plane's nose that the two men realized the gravity of their situation, officials said. The plane then veered northwest, out of town, escorted by the interceptors, security helicopters and a U.S. customs jet.

BRIGHT SPARKS THESE BOYS.

The FAA also said that Sheaffer was unaware of intercept procedures and did not know how to respond once he saw the Black Hawk, customs jet and two F-16s. The F-16s flew by several times, both of them dropping flares to get his attention.

WHERE ARE THEY HEADED NOW? THEY WERE WITHIN 3 MILES OF WHITEHOUSE THREE MINUTES EARLIER.. AND FLEW PRESUMABLY ANOTHER FOUR MILES IN THIS TIME (3 MINS). IF THEY WERE HEADED SOUTH TOWARDS THE WHITE HOUSE AS THE STORY IMPLIES THEY OUGHT BY NOW HAVE PASSED OVER WHITE HOUSE... ELSE THEY WERE HEADED IN ANOTHER DIRECTION.

Five minutes later, the White House alert dropped to yellow, and a 12:14 p.m. the "all-clear" was issued there.

OOPS… DIDN'T THEY KNOW ABOUT THIS.

The log shows that authorities initially planned to divert the plane to Leesburg. But even with the jets and helicopter roaring nearby, the Cessna was "not communicating" at 12:16, the log said. Finally, at 12:22, an entry says, "They are communicating, the fighters will force down at Frederick."

IN ORDER TO ATTEMPT TO MAKE SENSE OF THIS YOU HAVE TO ASSUME THAT THE CESSNA HAS STARTED TO FOLLOW THE BLACKHAWK. BUT IS NOT COMMUNICATING WITH THE AIRCRAFT BETWEEN 12:04 and 12:16. IN EITHER EVENT THE TWO ACCOUNTS IN THE WASHINGTON POST ARE CONTRADICTORY.

The Cessna landed at the Frederick airport at 12:37 p.m.

ONE MIGHT ASSUME THIS LAST DETAIL IS CORRECT I GUESS...

*********

[Rob Conn]

1. Another summary, not as academic...good job!

5/12/05

9/11 fact seekers are chuckling privately amongst themselves this week about the media coverage of the wayward Cessna that violated D.C. airspace on Wednesday. It would appear that the event has provided a timely opportunity for the Bush administration to counter a rising tide of media and public criticism regarding serious flaws in our national security that have not been adequately addressed since 9/11. For many who follow the administration closely, these perfectly timed PR events are far too frequent to be viewed any longer as merely coincidence.

The plane left Smoketown, PA in the afternoon with a pilot and trainee on a straight flight path heading directly over D.C. on their way to an air show in Luberton, NC. Every pilot in the North East knows you can't fly over D.C, especially a flight instructor. Before they entered restricted airspace, the military attempted to contact them, however their radio was 'not operating properly'. Later they shot flares at them to redirect their path, but that was also unsuccessful. So the jets were scrambled.
"Two F-16 fighter jets joined by a Blackhawk helicopter and a Citation jet from the Department of Homeland Security, confronted the private plane in time to shoot it down..." - L.A. Times, John Hendren, 5/11/05

Before it reached the Capitol, that is. The pilot later claimed to have been flying intentionally without navigation instruments, and that they became lost, despite having been traveling in their intended direction upon interception. The story doesn't hold water. Sounds a little too much like the type of gross incompetence used as an excuse for the failures on 9/11.

The response of our military appears to have been swift and effective. Very much as it had been on many previous occasions. With one clear exception. The military was able to ground the plane in Maryland, but not before they had started a full evacuation of government buildings in the Capitol. Evidently the bunch haven't had too many terror drills, because some of our legislators panicked, and went running wildly through the streets. Most news stories of the event make it clear that we intercepted the plane before it became a real threat to the Capitol. Most also make it clear that there were four aircraft deployed to handle one Cessna. Personally, I figure the Blackhawk could handle the situation by itself, and probably should have. The jets fly too fast to make good visual contact, which is the first priority in such an interception. Instead we hear news stories of an overwhelming response, and successful application of safety procedures. So the pilots lied, the military response was dramatic, and thae story comes right on the heels of several news stories in the past couple weeks about the inadequacy of our "Homeland" defenses. We might ask ourselves if this is all just a coincidence. And we might also think we have the most probable answer to that question. Lets consider what is likely a related example.

The capture of Saddam Hussein has turned out to be as much a hoax as the rescue of Jessica Lynch. Both were produced by a secret Hollywood production team working closely with administration PR firms. Its like watching 'reality' warfare. Every fact is manicured for our reception.

"Sergeant Nadim Abou Rabeh, who participated in the operation that netted Saddam, was quoted in the Saudi newspaper "Al-Medina" saying that the Iraqi leader was actually captured the day before and that "the public version of his capture was fabricated." The entire event was apparently choreographed by a Pentagon public relations team." - Counterpunch.org, Mike Whitney, 3/11/05

It turns out that he's not telling the whole story either. A few sources turned up suggesting that the Kurds had captured him, and that our military had taken him from the Kurds, and then taken credit by producing yet another 'dramatic re-enactment' of events. The Kurds were vocally pissed for a couple of weeks, but no one ran the stories, and they were intimidated by someone(?) to cease their kvetching. Says the author, "We only hear one side. And this administration not only gives us just one side, but makes it up as they go. They exercise a blatant disregard for the principle of public oversight that is the foundation of journalism. The media are used as tools for manipulation rather than education to the extent that stories are created or molded to fit the desired interpretation."

Back to the Cessna. A front-page NY Times article on 5/7/05 stated that, "After spending more than $4.5 billion on screening devices to monitor the nation's ports, borders, airports, mail and air, the federal government is moving to replace or alter much of the anti-terrorism equipment, concluding that it is ineffective, unreliable or too expensive to operate." So what the government has implied, in the interest of spending more money, is that we have not been safe for the past four years. That's some really bad PR for Homeland Security and the Bush administration. Five days later its Homeland Security Jet to the rescue. And scaring a few of those legislators who just voted a half-billion dollar cut in the Homeland Security budget couldn't hurt the cause. Low cost, few witnesses, and a big payoff. Bingo? You decide. Either way, hoax or not, the administration is definitely getting a couple of miles out of this one, but also giving the fact seekers something to chew on. The whole event dramatizes the incredible lack of response encountered by the 'hijacked' airplanes on 9/11. Thankfully, they rarely get to have their cake and eat it too. - R.C.

5/13/05

First of all, the pilot turns out to be a Republican, and avowed Bush supporter. Second, he was on course and evidently veered suddenly on a heading toward the Capitol. Today's news stories suggest that officials are asking why the plane got as far as it did, and what might happen if the plane were a jet. In other words, could the military stop a commercial jet that got close to the Capitol and then veered suddenly toward it, while increasing speed to the maximum? Could they shoot them down in time? And then there's a wide criticism regarding the twenty minutes it took between scrambling jets, and issuing an evacuation order only to high level legislators. ...? ! Very different from yesterday. Of course bad press and good press are all the same to Homeland Security. Terrorist acts ask for more money, and the time in between is the security we are paying for. But finally lets not forget to appreciate that Bush was on a 2 1/2 hour cycling marathon for the first time ever, and out on his own for the first time ever, cycling with no secret service agents, was unaware of the whole incident until his return. Excusing this insanity involved supporting lies that feed through the mainstream media directly from the administrations PR department. This whole incident is definitely more than these sources would have you believe. We very likely will learn little more about this incident, and can only speculate further. Its just another moment to have a healthy skepticism when it comes to what we learn without trying. Keep your eyes open! - R.C.

[althecat]

2. Thanks...

That said you comment.

"The response of our military appears to have been swift and effective. "

Not so if you use the latest Wash Post as the guide.

The plane arrived inside a restricted area 11.23
Blackhawk up 11.55

= 32 wasted minutes.... this is neither swift nor effective. Shades of 911 in fact.

[Rob Conn]

3. And...

I meant mine was less academic. Bust out!!! Here's today's update.

5/13/05

First of all, the pilot turns out to be a Republican, and avowed Bush supporter. Second, he was on course and evidently veered suddenly on a heading toward the Capitol. Today's news stories suggest that officials are asking why the plane got as far as it did, and what might happen if the plane were a jet. In other words, could the military stop a commercial jet that got close to the Capitol and then veered suddenly toward it, while increasing speed to the maximum? Could they shoot them down in time? And then there's a wide criticism regarding the twenty minutes it took between scrambling jets, and issuing an evacuation order only to high level legislators. ...? ! Very different from yesterday. Of course bad press and good press are all the same to Homeland Security. Terrorist acts ask for more money, and the time in between is the security we are paying for. But finally lets not forget to appreciate that Bush was on a 2 1/2 hour cycling marathon for the first time ever, and out on his own for the first time ever, cycling with no secret service agents, was unaware of the whole incident until his return. Excusing this insanity involved supporting lies that feed through the mainstream media directly from the administrations PR department. This whole incident is definitely more than these sources would have you believe. We very likely will learn little more about this incident, and can only speculate further. Its just another moment to have a healthy skepticism when it comes to what we learn without trying. Keep your eyes open! - R.C.

[althecat]

4. Lets Play More Fun with timelines - Now the ABC one

It really is odd how many different versions of this there are... Differences with Wash Post noted in capitals

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=748233&page=1


11:28 a.m. ET
Controllers notice plane moving toward Air Defense Identification Zone.

WASHPOST: 11:23 PLANE INSIDE ZONE

11:55 a.m.
Blackhawk Helicopters dispatched.

CORRECT.... 32 MINUTES LATE

11:58 a.m.
U.S. Capitol Police raise alert to highest internal level; evacuation decision imminent.

Approximately 11:59 a.m.
Threat level at the White House is raised to yellow — a Cessna plane was traveling 15 miles north of the White House.

WASHPOST BY NOW THE PLANE IS MUCH CLOSER TO WHITE HOUSE THAN THIS

Noon
F-16 fighter jets are scrambled from Andrews Air Force Base.

12:01 p.m.
Threat level at White House raised to orange — plane was within 10 miles.

NOW THE CESSNA HAS TRAVELLED 5 MILES IN 2 MINUTES = 170MPH AND CESSNA'S TOP SPEED IS 160MPH BUT THIS ONE WAS AN OLD ONE BEING FLOWN BY AN INEXPERIENCED PILOT... SEEMS UNLIKELY HE WOULD HAVE BEEN AT FULL THROTLE.

Evacuation and moving of people to secure locations begins.
Cessna was traveling in restricted airspace toward the White House and Capitol and the pilot was not responding to efforts to communicate with the plane.

12:02 p.m.
Senate recesses without notice or explanation. Senate floor evacuated amid fears of a bomb.

12:03 p.m.
Threat level raised to red — plane was within three miles of the White House.

FROM 10 MILES TO 3 MILES IN ANOTHER TWO MINUTES NOW THE CESSNA IS TRAVELLING AT 3 & HALF MILES A MINUTE OR 210 MPH.... YEAH RIGHT.

12:04 p.m.
U.S. Capitol Police order full evacuation of at least 25,000 people in the Capitol, six Senate and House office buildings and the Supreme Court.

12:11 p.m.
Threat level brought down to yellow — plane turned west and was traveling away from the White House.

NEW DETAIL NOT PROVIDED BY WASH POST

12:14 p.m.
All clear at the White House.

12:37 p.m.
Cessna 152 lands in Frederick, Md.

Approximately 12:40 p.m.
All clear at the U.S. Capitol and Supreme Court.

WHICH IS CURIOUS WHY SHOULD IT TAKE 26 MORE MINUTES TO GIVE AN ALL CLEAR AT THE CAPITOL THAN THE WHITE HOUSE.... NOT THAT I HAVE A SUSPICIOUS DISPOSITION

[althecat]

8. Associated Press Timeline

Broadly similar to ABC But Some diferences - Differences highlighted in CAPS.

http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?sid=518038&nid=116

_11:47 a.m.: Customs and Border Protection scramble Blackhawk helicopter and Citation interceptor jet.

OR 11:55AM

_11:56 a.m. Blackhawk pulls up next to Cessna.

_Noon: Citation jet joins Blackhawk and Cessna. Air Force F-16 fighter jets scrambled.

F16 PILOT SAYS 11:57 BUT THIS SAME AS ABC

_12:01 p.m.: Plane within 10 miles of White House. Officials began evacuating people at the White House, Capitol, Treasury Department and Supreme Court and moving top officials to more secure locations.

SAME AS ABC

_12:03 p.m.: Cessna pilot not responding to communication efforts. Threat level at White House raised to highest level _ red.

SAME AS ABC BUT NO MENTION OF FIVE MILES

_12:04 p.m.: Cessna enters the Flight Restricted Zone (FRZ), a 15-mile radius around Reagan National Airport.

COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN ALL OTHER VERSIONS - EVERYBODY ELSE SAYS AT 12:03 THE PLANE IS INSIDE 3 MILES OF WHITEHOUSE.

_12:06-12:10 p.m.: F-16 jets take over intercept from Customs aircraft. Cessna flies within three miles of the White House.

THIS IS A NEW TIME FRAME GIVEN FOR THIS ACTIVITY

[althecat]

5. And Now the New York Times - 1st Report...

New York Times - 1st Report... 12 May
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/12/politics/12plane.html?pagewanted=2

A Department of Homeland Security Black Hawk helicopter and a small jet were sent from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to intercept the plane about 11:45 a.m.

WASH POST SAYS 11:47 OR 11:55

The response planes were able to locate the Cessna before noon, while it was still more than 15 miles from the White House.

WASHPOST INITIALLY SAYS 11:56 FOR BLACKHAWK CONTACT - BUT GIVEN THAT THEY HAD ONLY BEEN AIRBORN FOR 1 MINUTE THIS SEEMS UNLIKELY. AND FLYING AT 120mph TO 3 MILES FROM WHITE HOUSE (12 miles) WOULD TAKE SIX MINUTES.

On Wednesday, the fact that the plane continued to head toward Washington after being intercepted by the Black Hawk helicopter resulted in the escalation of the alarm.

HELPFUL OBSERVATION BUT IT SEEMS LIKELY THAT IN FACT THE BLACKHAWK DID NOT REACH THE AIRCRAFT UNTIL IT WAS A LOT CLOSER THAN ANYONE FELT COMFORTABLE WITH. I.E. THIS PARA IS JUST WRONG... IMPORTANT BUT WRONG.

if it was traveling at its top speed of 125 miles an hour, it could have reached the White House in about two minutes.

WASHPOST SAYS 160MPH TOP SPEED

[althecat]

6. NYT 2nd Report - More Misinformation

May 13th
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/13/national/13plane.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1116068548-xzh3LuQWY3F3wuUwcqUZdQ

WASHINGTON, May 12 - It weighed about half as much as a Volkswagen Beetle and was traveling toward the nation's capital slower than the police have clocked speeders on Interstate 95.

THIS PLANE IS GETTING SLOWER AND SLOWER...

An examination of this week's scare - based on a detailed timeline compiled by Homeland Security officials - suggests that despite the evacuations of the White House, Capitol and Supreme Court, the buildings were never seriously threatened.

Aviation officials had marked the errant Cessna as suspicious miles before it entered the restricted zone around Washington. And the F-16 fighter jets that were scrambled from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland had ample opportunity to shoot down the plane, if authorities decided such a step was necessary, according to military officials. Missile batteries on the ground in Washington could also have been used to take down the plane.

THE F16s WERE - ACCORDING TO THE TIMELINE SCRAMBLED AT 12PM AT 12.03PM THE PLANE WAS WITHIN 2 MINS OF THE WHITE HOUSE. AMPLE TIME?

The plane was identified about 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, 44 miles from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, heading toward the Washington area, outside the border of the Air Defense Identification Zone that was set up around the Washington region's three airports after the Sept. 11 attacks.

WASHPOST SAYS IDENTIFIED AT 11:23

At first, federal officials were not alarmed because the plane was flying along the perimeter of the restricted area, which is a common occurrence. The situation escalated at 11:45 a.m., when the plane, traveling about 100 miles per hour, turned south and headed directly toward a more tightly controlled zone surrounding downtown Washington. This provoked the authorities to send a Homeland Security Black Hawk helicopter and three jets to intercept the Cessna.

TIMELINE SAYS 11:55 AM FOR BLACKHAWK AIRBORN... WHICH IS NOT QUITE THE SAME THING.

Lt. Col. Timothy Lehmann, an F-16 pilot who chased the plane, said in an interview Thursday that he flew overhead rocking his wings, an international symbol that means, as he put it, "Hey, you've been intercepted, follow me."

"But that did not happen," Colonel Lehmann said. He said he and another F-16 pilot had been given permission to drop flares in "an effort to shock him," but that did not immediately work.

It was not until the fighter jets made their third pass that the pilot turned west, away from the city, passing over the vice president's residence near the National Cathedral, about three miles from the White House.

ACCORDING TO WASHPOST - THE BLACKHAWK HAD ALREADY INTERCEPTED BUT BEEN IGNORED. THE CITATION THEN USED A SIGN IN THE WINDOW. WHAT TIME DID THE F16s ACTUALLY REACH THE PLANE AND WHERE WAS IT? THIS IS FAR FROM CLEAR FROM ANY OF THESE REPORTS SO FAR.

[althecat]

7. NYT 3rd Report - 13 May AP - Interview With F16 Pilot

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Capital-Alert.html

At 11:57 a.m., the F-16s were airborne. His cockpit radar told Lehmann where the target was. He got a vector directly where he needed to go and raced toward it.

It was when he saw the plane and the Washington Monument behind it that he realized how serious the situation was. The plane was headed straight toward the White House.

SO F16s TOOK OFF BEFORE MIDDAY... THIS IS FIRST REPORT TO GIVE TIME OF F16 SCRAMBLE. TIS NOTICEABLE THAT THE F16 HAVE NO TROUBLE REALISING THAT THE PLANE IS FLYING DIRECT FOR THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT.... AGAIN IT IS ODD THAT THE PILOT DIDN'T SEEM TO REALISE THIS HIMSELF (ESPECIALLY SINCE BY NOW HE IS ACCOMPANIED BY A BLACK HAWK HELICOPTER & A CESSNA CITATION JET)

Customs officials had also scrambled a Black Hawk helicopter and a Cessna Citation jet at 11:47 a.m. to intercept the plane. The Customs aircraft pulled away when the fighter jets arrived and tried to park at each wing of the little plane. They dipped their wings -- a pilot's signal to ''follow me'' -- and tried to raise the pilot on the radio.

11:47 THE TIME ORIGINALLY GIVEN BY THE WASHPOST.... MOST REPORTS SEEM TO STATE 11:55

But the Cessna didn't change course, and it was flying too slow for the F-16s. The frustrated pilots had to take turns dropping flares, breaking away and returning to drop more flares.

SEEMS SOMEWHAT STRANGE THAT A CESSNA WOULD IGNORE TWO F16s

[althecat]

9. Another pilot interview - NBC

http://www.nbc4.com/news/4483721/detail.html

"Two to three minutes after we're airborne, we intercepted our target of interest," he said. "As we do so, we see customs helicopters are drawing on the wing of the target of interest, and as we join, they're cleared off and we take over the intercept."

THREE MINUTES AFTER 11:57 IS 12PM... ACCORDING TO ASSOCIATED PRESS THE F16s INTERCEPTED AT 12:06-12:11.

[althecat]

10. SUMMARY... We do not know what happened on 5/11 - 10 Questions

The various reports are too contradictory. After surveying AP, NYT, WashPost and ABC we have five different timelines - two from the Washington Post alone.

Significantly the small amounts of time involved in the discrepancies are critical to whether the interception was a success or a failure in terms of keeping Washington secure.

UNANSWERED QUESTIONS:

1. Was the blackhawk scrambled at 11:47 or 11:55?

2. Did the blackhawk reach the Cessna at 11:56 or later?

3. Where was the Cessna when it was finally intercepted? (the various timelines place it in different positions at different times and in some cases the timelines themselves record speeds that it would be impossible for the cessna to have achieved.)

4. Why did the cessna pilots ignore the blackhawk and the citation jet?

5. Were the f16s scrambled at 11:57am or 12pm?

6. Did they reach the cessna at 12pm 12:03pm or 12:06pm?

7. Why was an all clear given at the White House 26 minutes before one at the capitol?

8. Why was the information provided to the media on these events uniformly unreliable?

9. Why do these self same media reports conclude that the false alarm shows the system working when quite clearly it does not?

10. Why was the President not notified?

[althecat]

11. kick... n/t